"Our people are our competitive advantage, and the 100% Safe work environment helps ensure we are protecting our most valued assets every day. Safety is good business, and it is no coincidence that firms with excellence in safety are among the top financial performers," said Carlos Cardoso, chairman, president and CEO, Kennametal.
ACCO Brands Corp., Buffalo Gap Instrumentation & Electrical Co. Inc., Caterpillar Inc., EnPro Industries, EuroKera North America, Fluor Corp., Gribbins Insulation Co. Inc., Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies LLC, Kennametal Inc., Nalco Co., Richard Goettle Inc. and Savage Services focus on leading indicators, such as achievement metrics and predictive analytics, rather than trailing indicators, such as DART rates, when discussing the strength of their safety process.
"We had a difficult time narrowing the field down to a manageable number of winners," said EHS Today Executive Editor Sandy Smith. "We received so many excellent applications that for the first time, we conducted several rounds of eliminations."
To be considered one of America's Safest Companies, companies must demonstrate: support from management and employee involvement; innovative solutions to safety challenges; injury and illness rates lower than the average for their industries; comprehensive training programs; evidence that prevention of incidents is the cornerstone of the safety process; good communication about the value of safety; and a way to substantiate the benefits of the safety process.
"Zero injuries – that's our goal. We simply will not be satisfied unless everyone gets safely home every single day," said Doug Oberhelman, chairman and CEO, Caterpillar.
Smith commended the sponsors of America's Safest Companies – Platinum Sponsor MCR Safety and Silver Sponsor PureSafety – for "their commitment to promoting safe work environments and for their support in recognizing the country’s safest workplaces."
EHS Today, a Penton Media brand, serves as a resource for safety, health and industrial hygiene professionals in the manufacturing, construction, and service sectors, informing them about trends, management strategies, regulatory news and new products to help them provide safe and healthy work sites.