At Pratt Industries, safety is more than a standard; it’s a shared value deeply ingrained in our culture. Across the nation and throughout all of our locations, safety is our foremost priority, executed with care and transparency.
Leadership’s Commitment to Safety
Safe practices are valued at every level of our operations, from top executives to our frontline employees.
Jimmy Sandford, General Manager at Grand Rapids, MI converting plant shared, “We utilize data tracking initiatives to pinpoint opportunities for improvement. This transparency guides safety-minded decision making and better aligns employees with the desire to eliminate unnecessary risk.”
These types of safety resources help ensure managers have the tools necessary to foster a thriving safety culture.
Randy Whiteaker, General Manager of Humboldt, TN corrugating plant utilizes the “Eyes on Safety” program to keep his employees engaged.
Employees begin their jobs with several days of orientation, followed by an observation-only period on the production floor, gradually taking on more responsibility as they demonstrate proper procedures. Safety guidelines are continuously reinforced through prominent displays in production areas and regular discussions and safety meetings.
“It seems simple, but doing the right thing every day is a huge part of what we believe in at Humboldt and at Pratt across our organization,” said Whiteaker.
“As a plant, we believe talk is cheap and action is everything. While we talk about safety every shift, we believe it is imperative that our folks see us living the safety culture every day. We don’t just enforce it, we live it.”
This approach has paid off greatly for the Humboldt team who received Pratt’s internal Safety Excellence Award that recognizes plants for consistent high safety performance.
Employee Investment in Safety
While our leaders drive safety, employee involvement is key. Each location has a Site Safety Committee made up of employees from various departments within the plant. These committees meet regularly to discuss current safety initiatives, recent incidents and best practices.
Safety Committees help identify necessary training for plant employees, which ranges from role-specific protocols to general plant-wide procedures and vital skills like CPR training. The committees also actively encourage employees to suggest additional training recommendations, keeping our safety education relevant and proactive.
Additionally, our monthly employee newsletter serves as a resource to share best practices, safety improvements and safety awards received for reaching milestones. These efforts, and others, ensure that employees throughout the organization are informed about the latest safety processes and best practices, including the utilization of dock line reflectors and Lockout/Tagout procedures.
Ultimately, safety at Pratt Industries is a deeply embedded value, driven by dedicated leadership and reinforced by every employee. Through continuous training, data-driven insights and proactive communication, we cultivate a culture where safety is paramount for everyone, every single day.