MAG Fond du Lac plant receives Wisconsin corporate safety award

MAG’s Fond du Lac plant has received a 2011 Wisconsin Corporate Safety award from the Wisconsin Safety Council and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. The plant was one of 85 finalists selected from 166 companies that submitted applications.

“As a large machine tool builder and machining facility employing 300, our management team recognized years ago that safety must be a daily priority for every person who walks in our doors,” said MAG Safety Director Americas Joe Pausha. “As a result, we have built an extensive range of programs aimed at employees and contractors from day one–even our off-site employees–that has made our plant a model in its industry and enabled us to enjoy a full year without a recordable injury.”

The innovative approaches to safety at MAG include:
•    Ergonomic engineering and planning for plant equipment and material handling.
•    Employee performance reviews that stress safety.
•    Constant solicitation of employees for ways to improve safety.
•    54 hours first responder training with Moraine Park, a local technical college.
•    Hiring a cleaning service for all shifts to clean plant floors, machines and employee work areas.

“To achieve the safety record we have, you must ‘sweat the small stuff’ and that starts with plant-floor cleanliness,” said Pausha. “As an indicator of our success in this one area, other large manufacturers have toured our facility to benchmark our housekeeping standards. Our management team and employees all have key roles in achieving this high level of success.”

The Wisconsin Safety Council is the state’s leading provider of workplace safety training and programming. Established in 1923, it is an educational division of WMC, the state manufacturers’ association, and is the state chapter of the National Safety Council.