On October 15th, Teltech hit the incredible milestone of 365 days without a lost time accident.
This accomplishment could not have been possible with the efforts of management and employees working together to create a safe work environment. DART is a safety metric used by OSHA meaning Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred due to workplace injuries or illnesses. This metric helps employers identify safety concerns in their workplaces. The industry average is about 1 accident with lost time per 100 employees. Teltech was not happy with their previous performance in this metric, and set a goal to go one year without a lost time accident.
Many actions were taken toward this goal. A safety committee made up of employees at various locations was created and supported by management. This team meets monthly to discuss safety concerns and make recommendations for change. Forklift safety was chosen as a prime area of concern this year and to mitigate this, Teltech reworked its forklift training and certification program and instituted a trial period for new drivers. Safety was kept at the forefront with weekly safety chats from the EHS Manager, a safety oriented Yammer page with news and tips, and regular communications from management. All sites also received an electronic “days without lost time accident board” so that employees were constantly aware of how the company was progressing.
When the 365 day mark was reached, Teltech celebrated by giving each location a pizza party hosted by management and hanging banners to celebrate the accomplishment.
