Safety Levels Improve in Metal Service Centers

A safety survey report by the Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI; Rolling Meadows, IL), shows members’ incident rates are falling despite increased man hours, across all sized member companies. The survey report was designed to help companies evaluate their own safety performance relative to similar sized companies to help identify opportunities for improvement.

This report is just one of the suites of safety education and product offerings available for association members. “Every company has a moral responsibility to ensure their employees return home in the same condition in which they arrived. That’s why we hold an annual safety conference and continually add to the safety resources we offer,” said M. Robert Weidner, III, the president and chief executive officer of MSCI.

Respondents to the survey identified their top three safety issues or concerns as (1) Leadership/Accident Prevention, (2) Training, and (3) Material Handling and Compliance. The most frequent type of injuries cited were lacerations/cuts/abrasions, strains and sprains, followed by bruises and contusions.

Each year MSCI hosts a safety conference, open to all members and non-members, to learn from experts and share best practices. Richard Robinson, president of Norfolk Iron & Metal (Norfolk, NE), is one of the many companies that participates.

“Safety is universal and it doesn’t matter if it is the biggest or smallest company, we all want employees to go home healthy, with no accidents. To have a meeting and share practices and meet with vendors who have new equipment is extremely helpful. It serves a need everyone has: There’s no one that can’t afford to be better at safety.”

Most recently MSCI partnered with Optimum Results to sponsor a Safety Helpline for its members. The company offers dedicated resources to respond to questions via phone or email. Topics covered by the hotline include, but are not limited to: Safety Culture Development, OSHA Compliance, Incident Investigation, OSHA Inspection Response, OSHA Recordkeeping, and Safety Team Development. Members can find the new Safety Helpline at http://www.msci.org/safety/msci-safety.

“Safety is a moral issue and an ethical issue,” added Dave Hannah, the chief executive officer and chairman of Reliance Steel & Aluminum (Los Angeles, CA). “But it’s also good business sense as a whole to have a safe work environment. It’s conducive to attracting good people, and safety goes hand in hand with quality and service. It’s all linked. The impact of improving safety is that is makes the company better, safer and more efficient.”

www.MSCI.org