Proactive Reporting = Fewer Accidents

Imagine seeing a shingle on the roof of a building blown out of position. You don’t report it because it seems like something minor, and it hasn’t caused a problem yet. But later you see rain entering the building and realize had you reported the shingle and got it fixed earlier, you wouldn’t be dealing with even more expensive repairs because of extensive damage caused to the structure. Reporting the problem before damage or injury occurs not only saves time and resources but also ensures the integrity of the entire "building" – in this case, the workplace.

The Johnstown management team realized they weren’t being alerted to hazards until an injury occurred. Historically, Johnstown had had very low proactive reporting of near misses, at-risk behaviors, and unsafe conditions. Since these risks were not being identified proactively, actions could not be taken until after it was too late. From July 2022 to the end of the year, they had 105 proactive reports and 7 recordable injuries. After training the management team on the importance of Cority (our incident management tool) and proactive reporting, the metrics improved dramatically. From January 2023 through June, they had 642 proactive reports and only 2 recordable injuries, proving that proactive reporting minimizes injuries.

As managers honed their reporting abilities, the focus then turned to the employees on the floor. After all, they are the ones closest to the work and use the equipment day to day. Due to internet availability in the shop, the IT team developed a Microsoft Access file to mimic a Cority event report and loaded it onto computers in each department allowing everyone to submit a hazard report directly to the Safety department. Now more hazards are being loaded into Cority for investigation and action. Reducing risk one report at a time.

Results were dramatic. The management team was able to address hazards sooner and prevent injuries instead of reacting to them. Some examples include:

REPORTED: A hook latch on an overhead gantry crane was not closing properly, creating the risk of carriers of wire falling off the hook.

ACTION: A work order was created, and swift action was taken to replace the latch so that it works properly.

REPORTED: Larger diameter rod that usually is annealed at CCA 4 (where they have larger hydraulic cutters) was now being annealed at CCA 1 & 2. The hydraulic cutters at CCA 1 & 2 were made for smaller diameter wire requiring the worker to make multiple cuts to separate the rod. This creates productivity issues and manual material handling and manipulation concerns.

ACTION: After an investigation the right equipment for the task was purchased to mitigate that risk and will be installed once received.

REPORTED: Equipment had been moved and placed in front of an emergency exit. In the case of an emergency, it placed a number of people at risk of becoming trapped in the building.

ACTION: We were able to address this concern quickly by moving the equipment and take steps to prevent it from happening again.

Safety remains the number one priority across LIBERTY and we continue to seek ways to help keep our employees safe. Proactive reporting is one effective tool to prevent accidents.