EnTrans International, a manufacturer of truck trailers under such brands as Heil, Polar, Serva, Kalyn Siebert and Jarco, calls its occupational safety and health program "safety matters." America's Safest Companies 2018: EnTrans International
"Safety is not only one of our core values -- we believe that safety promotes quality and productivity," explains Karen Czor, director of EHS.
EnTrans utilizes both leading and lagging safety metrics to measure the efficacy of its safety processes as well as the EHS Maturity Assessment process, Czor notes. The Maturity Process has three components: leadership, systems and behaviors/compliance. "The assessment is used annually to measure how each facility is maturing in its EHS processes," she says.
The company's training program addresses the learning styles and preferences of different generations and individuals to improve effectiveness and engagement. The training program, according to Czor, includes classroom-based instruction, small group discussions, computer-based training, safety shorts (YouTube-style video training), and skill-based hands-on training.
The company has a formal ergonomics program that provides hazard assessments for tasks from an ergonomic perspective. A screening tool evaluates activities for potential ergonomic review and improvements. An ergonomic assessment tool provides a risk rating that determines which tasks need improvements. EnTrans has also developed lifting, push and pull limits for its employees to help prevent strains and other ergonomic injuries.
Safety engagement of employees has increased significantly over the years. Before EnTrans began its safety journey, "it was a struggle to get personnel to want to participate in our safety committees at the facilities," Czor says. "Now, it is seen as a privilege, and many facilities have rotating committee members to allow more personnel to participate."