The Printing House
The Printing House Earns First SHARP Award
Just four years ago, The Printing House, a producer of more than 400 high-quality, full-color magazines and publications, was on OSHA's high DART rate list. Today, the company is celebrating a safety turnaround by earning OSHA's SHARP recognition.
In 2006, after receiving a high DART rate letter from OSHA, The Printing House was referred to USF SafetyFlorida by the Jacksonville OSHA area office. "Since then, the company has strived to implement and maintain a model health and safety management system that effectively involves all levels of employees and management and aggressively addresses health and safety issues," says Paula Granger, human resources manager. "Our goal was to earn a SHARP, and we wanted to get there." The north Florida printer's 84 employees did just that and have proud ownership in the company's health and safety efforts.
Part of those efforts includes a 5S system, a workplace organization principle that emphasizes sorting, straightening, sweeping or shining (cleanliness), standardization and sustainment. Aron Fournier, director of operations, says this method of lean thinking helped the company "dramatically improve housekeeping." Their organization tactics consist of floor lines to mark where items belong as well as chemical labeling for proper storage and identification. And because foot injuries were a chronic recordable, the company switched from using wooden pallets to plastic pallets, which reduced injuries.
While orderliness was helpful to the company's safety efforts, Fournier says the most significant contribution was that from USF SafetyFlorida. "Having them come out and give us a grade sheet of where we were was the best contribution. He (consultant Mike Tartal) walked through the plant for many hours to help us."
Since engaging in proactive health and safety measures, The Printing House not only turned around its safety program but reduced its DART rate from 3.7 to 1.9 and its TRC rate from 5.6 to 1.9. For 2010, the company aims for zero recordables, a goal they are on target to achieve since they have not experienced a recordable since December 2009. And because the company reduced its DART rate, their insurance carrier reduced The Printing House’s workers' compensation premiums--another accomplishment worth celebrating.