Forklift manufacturer Crown Equipment Corporation, announced that eight of its facilities have received Lift Truck Operator Awards from the National Safety Council for outstanding safety practices. The award recognizes forklift operators for doing their jobs without recordable or lost time injuries. The seven manufacturing facilities and one distribution center are all located in Ohio and support Crown’s global business.
Crown also received an Occupational Excellence Achievement Award in 2010 for its achievements and implementation of effective safety programs and initiatives. In that same year, the company’s manufacturing facility in Greencastle, Ind., was recognized for achieving 1 million consecutive man hours (10 years) without a lost time injury.
“We take great pride in safety excellence both in our manufacturing facilities and processes, as well as working with our customers on best practices for forklift safety,” said Brian Duffy, Crown’s director of corporate environment and manufacturing safety.
He also cites the company’s training programs combined with its InfoLink operator management system which helps maintain compliance with workplace regulations and safety standards by monitoring impacts. The company is also using the system to limit vehicle access to operators with the required certifications and to ensure that required inspections are performed with proper attention to detail.
Another tool Crown uses is its SafeSteps program which uses employee observation, feedback and positive reinforcement, as well as management support, to focus on the behavioral aspects of safety. Crown describes this as an anonymous, discipline-free approach to safety in which employees recognize and evaluate fellow employees on the safety techniques they’re performing correctly rather than solely focusing on unsafe behavior.
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