Steel Service Receives AISC Safety Award for Third Year in a Row
In construction and manufacturing, equipment can be replaced—people can’t. That’s why caution and preparation aren’t just parts of our job, they’re critical aspects of the way we work. At Steel Service, safety is always paramount. The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) has awarded us their most prestigious award in recognition of that commitment, the Fabricator Award of Honor.
About the AISC Fabricator Award of Honor
The AISC Safety Awards recognizes members with commendable safety records, and the Fabricator Award of Honor is presented for a perfect record of no disabling injuries, or a zero “DART” rate. DART (Days Away, Restricted or Transferred) measures of the number of recordable lost work cases per 200,000 man-hours worked. Steel Service, with no lost-time accidents in more than 1,200 days, has received the AISC Fabricator Award of Honor three years in a row: 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Steel Service President and CEO, Jim Simonson, spoke about how Steel Service’s company culture directly impacts DART, “We’ve got core values–honesty, integrity, caring, sharing, and family–that we try to strive for. Sometimes, in the business world, it’s hard to live up to your core values every day, but we strive to do that.”
Steel Service’s Commitment to Safety
Steel Service is proud to be the only steel fabricator in the state of Mississippi to receive the Fabricator Award of Honor from the AISC. This is due in no small part to our continued focus on safety and its importance in day to day activities. We maintain a culture of safety beyond our safety manager and active safety committee.
Toolbox Talks
Workplace safety is the first topic of discussion at the beginning of each shift at Steel Service. Simonson added, “We do daily toolbox talks. We bring employees together, and the foremen talk about safety topics of the day, just to keep that as the first thing we talk about.”
Safety Training for New Hires
Steel Service’s commitment to safety manifests in various processes and procedures designed to keep every work environment free of injury. Safety is a large part of training as new employees are onboarded. In fact, every new hire gets a red hat for their first 90 days. Simonson explained that, “new hires are the most susceptible to having some sort of incident or accident, based on them not being here very long or new to the company. The red hat allows co-workers to keep an eye on them to make sure they’re not doing something outside our procedures.”
Quarterly Safety Luncheons
Each quarter, Steel Service holds a company-wide safety luncheon. The most recent gathering included a celebration for the award. Simonson explained, “This is the third year in a row we have gotten this award for zero lost time accidents. So, that’s why we had a fancy cookout. Outback Steakhouse was brought in to cook steaks for the employees, and we gave them a bunch of swag. It was a pretty big milestone for us.”
The next safety luncheon will include an unveiling of our new safety slogan. “We’ve had a safety slogan that’s been around for around 10 years: Always Alert, Nobody Hurt. We have challenged our employees to come up with a new slogan and offered a $1,000 prize for whoever comes up with it.” This blindly judged winner will be presented at the July gathering along with banners and t-shirts displaying the new safety slogan.
Quality Working Environment
Simonson remarked that working conditions directly impact a company’s safety record. “Personally, I think it goes down to making sure your employees know that you care about them. If you give them lousy washrooms and a lousy place to eat lunch, and then you preach a lot of safety, I don’t think you get much bang for your buck. Show you care about the conditions they work in. Give them a nice lunch area and nice restrooms. We bring in unlimited fresh fruit for all the employees. We have bottled water on the plant constantly. I think you have to show you care about people for them to be serious about caring for themselves.”
Safety Reviews
Another important component to Steel Service’s safety culture is the review process after near misses. Simonson explained, “We try to concentrate on near misses, what almost happened, and what could have happened, and make sure we eliminate those as they arise. We continually strive to keep a focus on safety and review what we’re doing.”
We are grateful to the AISC for their recognition of Steel Service’s safety precautions, initiative, and focus. Additionally, we’re proud of the Steel Services team for maintaining a culture of protection and camaraderie day after day.
Work With Steel Service
Contact Steel Service to learn more about working with Mississippi’s safest AISC steel fabricator.