July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Better safety a welcome change
Editorial
It may be impossible to overstate the significance of what has happened at Portland Forge.
For generations, The Forge has been one of the county’s most vital industries.
It has also been one of the most dangerous.
Heat, steel, giant hammers, and upsetters add up to a recipe for a challenging workplace. The potential for things to go wrong has always been there.
For generations, that was pretty much accepted as just the way things are. Forge workers simply assumed that at some time in their work life they would go home hurt.
Today, that’s changed.
This month, The Forge marked one million work hours without a lost time accident, an achievement that would have been unthinkable when the company opened its doors more than 100 years ago and would have been considered remarkable just a decade ago.
Three ingredients made the transformation of the plant’s culture possible.
First, there was leadership at the corporate level. When Allegheny Technologies, the parent company of Portland Forge, set a goal of vastly improving safety, it was asking both management and labor to move into uncharted territory. It was, in effect, asking them to put aside 100 years of mindset and habit and expectations and set the bar higher.
Second, the local management team responded to that challenge positively. Instead of foot-dragging, they set about figuring out how to transform The Forge into a plant where safety was paramount.
And third, of course, Forge employees embraced the effort, particularly leaders of Local 1620 of the Blacksmiths union.
Safety isn’t just a bunch of slogans, and it’s not something that’s one person’s responsibility.
Everyone has to be involved. Everyone has to set the standards and expectations. Everyone has to buy in.
Our guess is that there were those at the corporate level who doubted the million-hour milestone would ever be reached. We’re sure there are those in both management and labor at the Portland plant who were doubtful.
But working together The Forge made it happen.
Is it still a challenging work environment? Sure it is.
The recipe of heat, steel, and giant hammers hasn’t been changed.
But these days a new culture and a new set of expectations are in place. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]
For generations, The Forge has been one of the county’s most vital industries.
It has also been one of the most dangerous.
Heat, steel, giant hammers, and upsetters add up to a recipe for a challenging workplace. The potential for things to go wrong has always been there.
For generations, that was pretty much accepted as just the way things are. Forge workers simply assumed that at some time in their work life they would go home hurt.
Today, that’s changed.
This month, The Forge marked one million work hours without a lost time accident, an achievement that would have been unthinkable when the company opened its doors more than 100 years ago and would have been considered remarkable just a decade ago.
Three ingredients made the transformation of the plant’s culture possible.
First, there was leadership at the corporate level. When Allegheny Technologies, the parent company of Portland Forge, set a goal of vastly improving safety, it was asking both management and labor to move into uncharted territory. It was, in effect, asking them to put aside 100 years of mindset and habit and expectations and set the bar higher.
Second, the local management team responded to that challenge positively. Instead of foot-dragging, they set about figuring out how to transform The Forge into a plant where safety was paramount.
And third, of course, Forge employees embraced the effort, particularly leaders of Local 1620 of the Blacksmiths union.
Safety isn’t just a bunch of slogans, and it’s not something that’s one person’s responsibility.
Everyone has to be involved. Everyone has to set the standards and expectations. Everyone has to buy in.
Our guess is that there were those at the corporate level who doubted the million-hour milestone would ever be reached. We’re sure there are those in both management and labor at the Portland plant who were doubtful.
But working together The Forge made it happen.
Is it still a challenging work environment? Sure it is.
The recipe of heat, steel, and giant hammers hasn’t been changed.
But these days a new culture and a new set of expectations are in place. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]
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