1465 Days With No Lost-Time Accidents
Empire Screen Printing has reached 1,465 days no lost-time accidents and counting. This four-year milestone is a significant achievement that should not be taken lightly and seen as an example of what other similar companies can achieve.
Prior to 2005, Empire production never exceeded 100 days without lost-time accidents. The cavalier attitude that safety was secondary was outdated, and it resulted in an exceedingly high insurance mod factor and numerous worker’s compensation claims. These associated costs negatively impacted everyone at Empire. Something had to be done. This realization was the catalyst behind the employee safety committee and safety incentive program.
In 2005, our longest safety record was 122 days. By 2006, this was doubled at 244, then 365 days with no lost time, a goal we thought unreachable at the time. In 2010, we reached 1,095 days no lost-time, the first time in company history. In 2011, we surpassed that milestone at 1,275 days. Now our employees consistently maintain a two-three year period with no lost-time. The impact of our safety committee and employee efforts has exceeded our past accomplishments. We have exceeded the four-year mark of no lost time as of December 19, 2019.
We would not be able to build a prominent safety culture without help. It is critical to take advantage of resources at hand, such as local, state, and federal government, trade organizations, business partners, etc. Our employees teamed up with a variety of government agencies and business partners such as the Onalaska/Holmen Fire Departments, Summit Companies, WisCon Industrial Hygiene Lab, Specialty Graphics and Imaging Association (SGIA), Walmart, American Red Cross, and M3 Insurance. It shows a deliberate, proactive approach, embraced by our employees and our partners to create a work environment we want to maintain and improve. As a whole, we take pride in our current safety culture.
“M3 is pleased to partner with Empire Screen Printing. Empire’s proactive commitment to quality and safety certainly go hand-in-hand for organizational success. Empire understands a proactive and responsive safety culture is a part of your quality business. The engagement and communication with employees are evident when going out into the plant, along with participating in safety committee.”
— Maureen Anderson, RN, MSN, COHN-S, Risk Manager at M3 Insurance
Developing strong partnerships is important to Empire’s success. It is our duty to the print industry to help others achieve similar milestones. If you need guidance regarding our approach to building a successful safety culture, please reach out to us via our website. We are your partner in printing.
Written by Amy Bettis, Account Manager and Member of our Safety Committee
