RockTenn Celebrates 15 Years of No Lost Time Accidents at Beloit Mill
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According to an article this past week in the Beloit Daily News, Beloit, Wis., USA, employees at RockTenn Beloit keep a watch out for each other, and it shows. The sheet plant celebrated 15 years with no lost-time accidents this past Wednesday. Employees celebrated by having a lunch catered in and they received gift bags filled with safety items such as first aid kits and blankets and plenty of heartfelt thanks from management.
"I’m amazed by your ability to show up every day and do what you do. You care about each other. It’s part of your culture and DNA," said RockTenn SVP of the Central Region Rick Parris.
From 2010-2014, RockTenn Beloit has won the RockTenn President’s Safety Award. It has been number one out of 241 plants for its safety record, according to Brandan Majerus, plant manager.
With a theme of "empowered and engaged in safety," Majerus said the long-term employees make safety a priority, keeping an eye on and helping newer employees learn to be safe. "We’ve got an awesome group of people," Majerus noted.
At the Beloit RockTenn plant, corrugated board is converted into boxes. With cutting dies and knives, each machine has the potential to be deadly. However, RockTenn Beloit may be one of the safest places to work, thanks to the company’s continual safety focus. Beloit RockTenn, for example, went six years and 10 months without a worker’s compensation claim and six years and 10 months without an OSHA recordable incident, and had only one recordable incident in 10-and-a-half years.
Mark Weston, RockTenn’s retiring Wisconsin business unit general manager, praised the plant for employee involvement and accountability. He cautioned employees against complacency as they move forward, given the company’s strong record. He encouraged employees to give safety considerations the same time and focus they devote to quality and proficiency.
In Wisconsin, RockTenn operates six facilities with more than 600 employees. In 2012 its Wisconsin total payroll was $39 million. Beloit RockTenn has 48 full-time hourly employees, seven salaried employees, and 26 temporary workers.
Twenty employees have been with RockTenn for 20 years or more; and 10 employees for 10 years or more. Last year 16 employees received perfect attendance awards ranging from 1-27 years. The company has 99% on-time delivery to its customers.
