Anchor Manufacturing Group, Inc. Wins Safety Award

CLEVELAND, Nov. 14 -- The Precision Metalforming Association issued the following news release:

Anchor Manufacturing Group, Inc., Cleveland, OH, has received the 2011 Pitcher Insurance Agency Safety Award for its outstanding safety and health program, which features an active safety committee, management commitment to a safe work environment and three incentive-based programs. Anchor is a Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier of metal stampings and welded assemblies to the automotive industry, employing approximately 230 employees.

At Anchor, a strong emphasis is placed on the importance of a safe working environment. Management maintains an open-door policy for reporting or suggesting any and all ideas or problems regarding safety and health. Managers and supervisors are held responsible for ensuring that all operations are performed with the utmost regard for the safety and health of all personnel. In addition, safety rules are strictly enforced and require that all employees comply with these rules as a condition of employment.

Anchor's Safety Committee meets monthly and conducts quarterly departmental safety audits to ensure safe work practices are being followed. The committee includes at least one member from each department to oversee safety and health activities. Every accident is promptly and thoroughly investigated to find the root cause and make a corrective action to prevent it from happening again.

Anchor's safety program also includes three incentive-based programs--the No Lost-Time Accident Program, an Employee Excellence Program and a Safety Lunch Program. In 2008, Anchor implemented the No Lost-Time Accident Program and set a goal of zero lost-time accidents. Special safety boards hanging throughout the plant track the days the company has gone without such an accident. Every 90 days without a lost-time accident, a drawing is held for a Nintendo Wii or an equivalent in gas cards for all eligible hourly associates. In addition, a drawing for a $50 gas card is held at each of the departmental monthly meetings. If an employee has an accident or receives a disciplinary action for a safety violation, he or she will not be eligible for the drawing. The company's record to date for days without a lost-time accident is 518 days.

Anchor also created an Employee Excellence Program where employees earn points by completing certain tasks, for which they cash in the points value for gift cards, credit to purchase tools, Anchor merchandise, etc. In this program, each department has its own set of safety goals, which are tracked on safety boards. Every time the department goes 90 days without an accident, the members of that department are rewarded between 30 and 60 points. Each point is equal to one dollar and the points increase as the goal increases. The company spends more than $40,000 annually on this program, which equates to an average of 200 points per employee per year.

In addition, Anchor rewards employees with celebratory lunches for meeting departmental safety goals. Depending on the goal that is met, employees may be treated to a pizza party, cookout or catered meal.

The company's safety program has yielded outstanding results. The last three years, Anchor was invited to attend the annual Occupational Safety and Hygiene Awards Banquet, sponsored by the Greater Cleveland Safety Council and the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, the company received the "Achievement Award," presented to companies that reduce their accident rate by 25 percent or more over the previous year. In addition, in 2011 Anchor won the "Group Award" for having the best safety record in their industry classification, the "100% Award" for working the entire year without a lost-time injury or illness and the prestigious "Special Award" for obtaining a minimum of 500,000 hours and six months without a lost-time accident.

The Safety Award is one of eight Awards of Excellence in Metalforming presented annually by PMA. Sponsored by Pitcher Insurance Agency, Chicago, IL, the award acknowledges either an effective comprehensive safety program or a specific innovative idea in the context of an effective safety program. Along with recognition in industry publications and at events, Anchor Manufacturing Group will receive a $1,500 cash prize.

Editor's Note: Information on PMA's Awards of Excellence in Metalforming is available at http://www.pma.org/awards.

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