Page 6 - WING May-Jun 2016
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AEP ANNA ENGINE PLANT
DMD Challenge Leads to Safety Award
W of America Mfg. (HAM), your job duties can become Scott Stewart, a 28-year Honda associate and member of DMD, said
hether you are a video game designer, race car
the challenge made it easy for associates to buy into the process
driver, or an equipment service technician at Honda
because it gave those on the floor ownership, and they could wit-
mundane from time to time.
That’s one of the reasons the Drivetrain Manufacturing Department ness the changes happening in a timely manner.
Department Manager Brad Mescher said the contest and winning
(DMD) at the Anna Engine Plant (AEP) challenged their associates the award are about more than safety, it’s about a culture change.
to identify areas for safety improvement. Associates in the depart- He indicated that AEP has grown so quickly that a bit of the personal
ment made more than 100 safety suggestions from December 2015 touch among associates has disappeared.
through March 2016, and 98 of those improvements have already
been implemented. “This challenge brought some of that personal touch back,” he said.
“Associates have to believe they are making a difference.”
John Homan, the department safety leader, said we must get to
a point where associates are thinking about safety all the time. I think they attained their goal. Sheppard said, “Respect for the indi-
Homan initiated the challenge and said it prompted associates to vidual is reality here, not just a nicety on a placard.”
think proactively about areas where injuries could occur and how to
improve the process. Associate suggestions not only contributed to the Safety Award,
but team members also acquired Honda Involvement Program (HIP)
Making safety a priority equates to fewer injuries, which is also why points for their efforts. One project Homan feels made a significant
DMD was awarded AEP’s first annual Excellence in Safety Award, impact was even part of a recent Involvement Tour. Before the sug-
which recognizes the department with the lowest Occupational gestion was implemented, associates had to place a 44-lb. grinder
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable rate. Overall, access door on the ground, which would leak oil and potentially lead
AEP had its lowest injury rate in plant history last year. to slips and back strain. A cart was developed that catches the oil
and only requires associates to move the door three inches.
Tony Green, AEP plant safety leader, said the ultimate goal of this award
is to make AEP the benchmark for safety in automotive manufacturing. “The key to DMD’s success was associate involvement at all lev-
Green said it’s important to get associates engaged and using their chal - els in order to make a difference,” said AEP Plant Manager Paul
lenging spirit to make safety a priority throughout the plant. Dentinger. “One thing is for sure – I am truly blessed to be able to
work with such great people.” W
Homan said the success of the program exceeded his expectations. Kaitlin Hall
“It was a domino effect. We had a lot of contingent associates kaitlin_hall@ham.honda.com
make suggestions, and team leaders were instrumental in encourag-
ing associates to look down the line and outside their areas to see
how changes could be paralleled throughout the department.”
As Tonya Sheppard explains, not every suggestion has to be extraordi -
nary. She said sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference.
Sheppard is an associate in DMD and made three suggestions that
were implemented. One was as simple as installing hinges on a
door. Due to overlapping equipment, the door had to be removed
each time it needed opening. Now, the door is easy to open, result-
ing in time savings and improved safety.
Members of the winning department, who
Fred Pulfer, a DMD associate in assembly, made a suggestion that received a pizza party as part of their recognition.
was implemented department-wide. When resetting robots, associ-
ates had to balance on a ledge attached to the robot. Pulfer sug-
gested installing a grate in order to create a floor on which associ- Other Safety News
ates can stand while working on machines. AEP is the recipient of the Achievement Award and the Special Award
from the Sidney-Shelby Chamber of Commerce. The Achievement
Homan spoke to each associate who made a suggestion to deter- Award names the company who had a 25 percent reduction in inci-
mine whether it was something that could be done. Then he dent rate from the previous year, and the Special Award honors the
coached the associate to think about how the improvement would
affect those on other shifts and whether the plan needed tweaked. company who has gone 500,000 hours and at least six months with-
Then, associates worked with outside fabricators and contractors to out an injury resulting in a day or more away from work.
implement their suggestion.
6 WING May/June 2016
DMD Challenge Leads to Safety Award
W of America Mfg. (HAM), your job duties can become Scott Stewart, a 28-year Honda associate and member of DMD, said
hether you are a video game designer, race car
the challenge made it easy for associates to buy into the process
driver, or an equipment service technician at Honda
because it gave those on the floor ownership, and they could wit-
mundane from time to time.
That’s one of the reasons the Drivetrain Manufacturing Department ness the changes happening in a timely manner.
Department Manager Brad Mescher said the contest and winning
(DMD) at the Anna Engine Plant (AEP) challenged their associates the award are about more than safety, it’s about a culture change.
to identify areas for safety improvement. Associates in the depart- He indicated that AEP has grown so quickly that a bit of the personal
ment made more than 100 safety suggestions from December 2015 touch among associates has disappeared.
through March 2016, and 98 of those improvements have already
been implemented. “This challenge brought some of that personal touch back,” he said.
“Associates have to believe they are making a difference.”
John Homan, the department safety leader, said we must get to
a point where associates are thinking about safety all the time. I think they attained their goal. Sheppard said, “Respect for the indi-
Homan initiated the challenge and said it prompted associates to vidual is reality here, not just a nicety on a placard.”
think proactively about areas where injuries could occur and how to
improve the process. Associate suggestions not only contributed to the Safety Award,
but team members also acquired Honda Involvement Program (HIP)
Making safety a priority equates to fewer injuries, which is also why points for their efforts. One project Homan feels made a significant
DMD was awarded AEP’s first annual Excellence in Safety Award, impact was even part of a recent Involvement Tour. Before the sug-
which recognizes the department with the lowest Occupational gestion was implemented, associates had to place a 44-lb. grinder
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable rate. Overall, access door on the ground, which would leak oil and potentially lead
AEP had its lowest injury rate in plant history last year. to slips and back strain. A cart was developed that catches the oil
and only requires associates to move the door three inches.
Tony Green, AEP plant safety leader, said the ultimate goal of this award
is to make AEP the benchmark for safety in automotive manufacturing. “The key to DMD’s success was associate involvement at all lev-
Green said it’s important to get associates engaged and using their chal - els in order to make a difference,” said AEP Plant Manager Paul
lenging spirit to make safety a priority throughout the plant. Dentinger. “One thing is for sure – I am truly blessed to be able to
work with such great people.” W
Homan said the success of the program exceeded his expectations. Kaitlin Hall
“It was a domino effect. We had a lot of contingent associates kaitlin_hall@ham.honda.com
make suggestions, and team leaders were instrumental in encourag-
ing associates to look down the line and outside their areas to see
how changes could be paralleled throughout the department.”
As Tonya Sheppard explains, not every suggestion has to be extraordi -
nary. She said sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference.
Sheppard is an associate in DMD and made three suggestions that
were implemented. One was as simple as installing hinges on a
door. Due to overlapping equipment, the door had to be removed
each time it needed opening. Now, the door is easy to open, result-
ing in time savings and improved safety.
Members of the winning department, who
Fred Pulfer, a DMD associate in assembly, made a suggestion that received a pizza party as part of their recognition.
was implemented department-wide. When resetting robots, associ-
ates had to balance on a ledge attached to the robot. Pulfer sug-
gested installing a grate in order to create a floor on which associ- Other Safety News
ates can stand while working on machines. AEP is the recipient of the Achievement Award and the Special Award
from the Sidney-Shelby Chamber of Commerce. The Achievement
Homan spoke to each associate who made a suggestion to deter- Award names the company who had a 25 percent reduction in inci-
mine whether it was something that could be done. Then he dent rate from the previous year, and the Special Award honors the
coached the associate to think about how the improvement would
affect those on other shifts and whether the plan needed tweaked. company who has gone 500,000 hours and at least six months with-
Then, associates worked with outside fabricators and contractors to out an injury resulting in a day or more away from work.
implement their suggestion.
6 WING May/June 2016
