Editor's Note: SafetyXChange wants to congratulate all of those who were named as finalists to receive Saxcies™. We hope that many of you will join us in Orlando on June 26 when we announce the winners and hand out the awards. Although it sounds like a cliché, it is true that selecting finalists in each category was extremely difficult. As a member of the selection committee, I agonized over trying to decide who should make the final cut. As a salve to my conscience and a small consolation for those worthy men and women who aren't finalists, we've decided to recognize some of this year's honorable mentions.

Here's a nomination that deserves to be honored even though it didn't make the finals. It was submitted for Newpark Drilling Fluids for The Henshaw Award for Corporate Leadership in Safety.

The Statistics

In one of the worst industries in Alberta for workplace injuries and deaths, Newpark Drilling Fluids (NDF) stands alone with some incredible statistics.

NDF, as of May 7, 2007, has accumulated 3,092 days without a lost time incident, one medical aid and only a handful of first aid incidents. In recognition of this performance, NDF has been awarded the "Best Safety Performer Award," by the Alberta Government three years running(2003-2005) and fully anticipate the award for 2006.

Screening for Safety

NDF has accomplished this amazing feat by being committed to safety and making safety a part of everything we do, not something extraneous. NDF starts this process while interviewing personnel for potential hiring. All applicants are screened for conformity to the NDF culture and understanding of the need for safe work performance. All personnel are then put through an exhaustive orientation that includes not only their job parameters but company information, and a safety orientation to their job. Personnel are then put through job tailored training, which includes:

• Job specific hazards and mitigation;
• Ergonomics;
• Emergency response;
• Safety responsibilities/rights; and
• The responsibilities of management and the company.

They are then mentored by senior personnel who understand and can communicate the safety culture. In the case of field personnel this mentoring period can be as long as a year. Responsibilities of all personnel include awareness of safety hazards, how to mitigate them and to ensure that everyone else is kept safe. Field personnel for example routinely lead safety meetings in the field discussing chemical hazards, slip/trip hazards and general hygiene.

Commitment to Health and Wellness

Our employees are also involved in several ongoing health initiatives such as:

• a monthly newsletter discussing health issues
• alerts on health issues and/or product recalls
• in-house blood pressure/cholesterol checks
• talks by health professionals.

Conclusion

As an organization management works hard to foster health and safety as one of the lynch pins of the company. We truly believe that having a safe work force makes us a more efficient operation and a better company. A safe work place is expected from the President through the Operations Manager, right down to field personnel as part of our understanding of who we are as a company.

YOUNG AND NEW WORKER SAFETY

Why They're at Risk for Injury

By Dave Duncan

Young workers, new workers and inexperienced workers are five times more likely to be injured at work in their first four weeks at the new job. Why? For many reasons, according to Dianne Tolgyesi, a principal consultant for the Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA), including:

• They may not be able to perceive the hazards and risks, because they lack experience;
• They may over-rate their own skills;
• They may be adrenaline junkies and thrive on risky behavior, both on and off the job; and
• They may have difficulty understanding and applying general orientation training.

New workers often suffer from information overload and lose track of what's important and what's not. To keep new, young or inexperienced workers safe (including those who are returning to the workforce), supervisors should:

• Take inexperienced employees onto the floor and show them the hazards;
• Provide job-specific safety training;
• Observe and coach new workers; and
• Quiz workers on where hazards lie.

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