To be considered one of “America’s Safest Companies,” organizations 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.
Eight Savage team members received the award on behalf of the entire Savage team at a reception on Monday, October 31, at the Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, Pa.
“We’re pleased to receive this award because it reinforces our wholehearted commitment to safety,” said Allen B. Alexander, Savage President and CEO. “It sends a strong message to our team members and prospective team members about our goal of becoming a ‘zero-occurrence’ workplace. And we appreciate the opportunity to work with customers who share our passion for safety.”
Savage COO Kirk Aubry chairs the Savage Safety Leadership Council, which includes the leaders of the business groups and units, as well as the company’s safety professionals. Council meetings focus on sharing best practices and working together to address environmental, health and safety issues. A foundation of the safety process at Savage is the expectation that all team members demonstrate safety leadership.
Much of that involvement comes from the Safety Specialist program, where the informal leaders from the operations are selected to attend a 3-day training session to prepare them for additional responsibilities with safety. The company now has 766 active Safety Specialists and 169 active Lead Safety Specialists.
“Nothing trumps safety at Savage,” says Aubry. “Safety is more than a program or a process. It’s part of our DNA. This award is an indicator that our efforts are paying off and that we’re on the right track. We’re grateful to all our good people who work together every day to deliver value to our customers – and do it safely.”
Savage moves a lot of coal. With 150 locations in 36 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces, the company is a North American leader in the creation and delivery of bundled supply chain management services that are tailored to meet the needs of customers in electric power generation, coal production, oil refining, railroad, chemical and other industries.
