EHS Today
  • Magazine Subscription
  • ENewsletters
  • EHS Education
  • Safety Leadership Conference
  • America's Safest Companies
    • Search
  • EHS Today Intelligence
  • Safety
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Standards
  • Safety Technology
  • Training & Engagement
  • Leadership
  • Topics
    EHS IntelligenceEnvironmentHealthSafetyLeadershipStandardsConstructionPPESafety TechnologyTraining & EngagementEmergency ManagementCOVID-19 CrisisIndustrial Hygiene
    Resources
    Member BenefitsSafety Leadership ConferenceEHS EducationAmerica's Safest Companies AwardsWebinarsWhite PapersWorkplace Safety AcademyMagazine SubscriptioneNewsletter SubscriptionLatest HeadlinesContact UsAdvertisePress ReleasesPrivacy & Cookie PolicyTerms of Service
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/EHS-Today/66542218626?ref=ts
    https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4355311
    https://twitter.com/EHSToday
    1. Archive

    AK Steel's Wardrop Pushes Injury Reduction

    July 2, 2001
    The chairman and chief executive officer of AK Steel says that\r\nwhile there are plenty of financial justifications for improving\r\nworkplace safety, the only important number is zero.
    EHS Today Staff

    The chairman and chief executive officer of AK Steel says that while there are plenty of financial justifications for improving workplace safety, the only important number is zero.

    "Employee safety is responsible business that needs no other justification," said Richard Wardrop Jr., in an address before the second annual presentation of the National Safety Council''s Green Cross for Safety Medal last week in New York.

    Wardrop was the first-ever recipient of the medal presented by the National Safety Council last September.

    The medal was created to honor exemplary commitments to workplace safety and corporate citizenship.

    "True, good safety lowers workers'' comp bills. True, good safety lowers insurance premiums. True, good safety improves morale. True, good safety improves productivity. And true, we could calculate with some precision the net effect of all these things on our bottom line," said Wardrop. "But the fact is, we don''t. Because all of those are secondary to why we work so hard at safety."

    In 1994, AK Steel had a total recordable frequency of 6.96. That was almost two times better than the steel industry average.

    Today, The company''s number is 1.20, or nearly six times better than in 1994.

    "The employees of our Ashland, Kentucky coke plant had an outstanding safety performance last year," said Wardrop. "In fact, the plant had only one recordable injury. That resulted in an OSHA recordable number of 0.26, fully 30 times better than the industry average. Ironically, that was not the best record in the industry. That honor went to our Middletown coke plant, with a total recordable rate of zero for the year."

    Wardrop continued, "Zero. In my mind, that''s bottom line number for any safety program. And that''s what we should all be working toward every day -- zero injuries."

    Wardrop, along with NSC Chairman Patrick R. Tyson, presented the council''s 2001 Green Cross for Safety Medal to Dr. Craig R. Barrett, president and chief executive officer of Intel.

    by Virginia Sutcliffe

    Continue Reading

    The Biggest Challenges for Safety Professionals in 2023

    Suicide Rates Hit Highest Level Ever in 2022

    Sponsored Recommendations

    Is Your Safety Program Effective? 10 Questions Every Safety Leader Should Ask

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Purposeful Presence: How Leaders Show Up to Amp Up Performance

    Nov. 7, 2023

    The Truth and Challenges of Cultivating Chronic Unease

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Autopsy of an Injury Uncovering 18 Million Exposures in One Activity

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Voice your opinion!

    To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!

    I already have an account

    New

    EEOC Proposes Sweeping Employer Guidance

    COP28 Reservations, More Marijuana Headaches and Productivity Hacks: What We’re Reading This Week

    Making Naloxone Part of Emergency Preparedness Plan

    Most Read

    Are Carbon Offsets Effective or Just Corporate Greenwashing?

    Written Safety Plans: Not Just a Paperwork Exercise

    EHS and LMS Platforms – A Match Made in Safety


    Sponsored

    Red Wing for Business

    Measuring Performance: Your Guide to Health and Safety Leading Indicators

    Zero Incidents: no longer out of reach

    EHS Today
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/EHS-Today/66542218626?ref=ts
    https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4355311
    https://twitter.com/EHSToday
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Do Not Sell or Share
    • Privacy & Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    © 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
    Endeavor Business Media Logo