Ask employees at Kimberly-Clark’s nonwoven facility in Neenah, Wisconsin about the importance of safety on the job, and they’re sure to say it’s a value, a part of everything they do. The facility has the record to prove it; plant employees have celebrated an entire year without a single injury.
How did they do it? According to mill manager Dean Hilmer, every employee in the plant knows the importance of safety on the job and their responsibility to ensure it. We only got this far as a team and we can only go forward as a team, Hilmer says. It will take continuing commitment by every single employee to never have another injury. We must continually look out for our own safety, and that of our teammates, and be willing to help each other in any way that we can.
Safety first
Such success is what Kimberly-Clark facilities around the globe strive to achieve, a goal strongly supported by the top tiers of management. In fact, Kimberly-Clark CEO Wayne Sanders often reiterates the importance of safety to employees. There is nothing, nothing more important than your safety, Sanders says. There is no production goal, there is no cost- or time-saving measure, and there is no competitive advantage that is ever worth a human life, or for that matter an injury of any kind.
Kimberly-Clark, maker of Kleenex facial tissue and one of the worlds largest consumer companies, has emphasised safety since its foundation, when Deal fairly with employees was one of the founding principles. This has continued through the years, including being a founding member of the U.S. National Safety Council in 1912. But after a serious accident in 1993, the company realised that something was missing from its safety approach.
Safety and loss control
Through careful evaluation and a partnership with DNV, Kimberly-Clark decided to take a more systematic approach to safety. We feel we are a trusted part of peoples lives, which affects the way we work, says James Morgenstern, vice president for Safety, Quality and Consumer Services. Having a poor safety system can affect how our products are perceived in the market. Therefore, we made up an action plan in which a systematic approach to control losses is basic in our safety strategy. We believe safety is a constant value and becomes a part of our daily work.
The need for a systematic approach led to a partnership with DNV, including initial assessments and training of key personnel at K-C. DNV provided support during the development of K-Cs Safety and Loss Control Management System, a customised approach to Modern Safety Management based on the K-C Safety and Hygiene Policy Statement and Instructions. This includes cornerstones such as management leadership and commitment, employee involvement and hazard identification, prevention and control.
Visible results
Hows it going so far? Since K-C took the first steps toward a systematic approach in 1993, the company has seen a 45% reduction in its total recordable injury/illness incident rate in North America. Since the company implemented the Safety and Loss Control Management System worldwide last year, it has experienced a 14% reduction in the global lost workday rate.
DNV has been an important player in helping us to adapt modern safety management principles into our system, Morgenstern says. By making use of DNVs expertise, we have been able to implement a system accepted worldwide, which is very important for a global organisation.
Although Kimberly-Clark has already made great progress in terms of safety, the company continues to set ambitious goals for the future.
We think zero incidents is a realistic goal, says Morgenstern. We are convinced we can get there because we have the system and tools, and a committed team of colleagues heading for it.