Safety – It's no Accident
April 2, 2007
We see them tied up at our slips. We see them gracefully sailing or cruising out in our waters. We recognize their logo from a distance and a quick glace. And admit it; we might even envy those who own them. They are Hinckley yachts – world renowned and respected; sailed by some of the country’s wealthiest and made right here in our backyard. They are crafted by Maine boat builders, some who have been doing this for generations. Not only are the Hinckley boat builders experts in their craft they have also been recognized as some of the safest employees in the state.
Hinckley Yachts is celebrating over 230 days without a lost time accident – a truly remarkable feat given the nature of work on a production line. Over 200 workers are employed at the Trenton site, which opened in 2000, and this week they were recognized by the Maine Department of Labor’s SafetyWorks! program for making safety a priority.
Department of Labor officials have presented the company with a Safety and Health Award Recognition Program (SHARP) certificate of achievement. The SHARP program offers incentives to private sector employers that take a proactive approach to workplace safety, as they have done at Hinckley. In order for employers to be granted a certificate they must demonstrate exemplary achievements in workplace safety and health by receiving a comprehensive safety and health consultation visit, correcting all workplace safety and health hazards, adopting and implementing effective safety and health management systems, and agreeing to request further consultative visits if major changes in working conditions or processes occur that may introduce new hazards.
SafetyWorks! has a number of free programs and services geared to helping Maine businesses and organizations improve workplace safety. Last year, the program provided safety and health training to over 10,000 Maine workers and consultation services to hundreds of employers. SafetyWorks! services are voluntary and offered free of charge. More information on SafetyWorks and the SHARP program can be found online at: www.safetyworksmaine.com.
But this is about more than receiving state recognition and a certificate – it is about putting your employees first, and it doing so, putting their well-being and safety ahead of all else. These 200 or so employees really stand out among Maine workers. In 2005 (the most recent statistics currently available) over 7,100 workers had a recordable injury on the job. And while work places in Maine are becoming increasingly safe, fifteen work related deaths occurred in Maine in 2005. So, 230 days without a single employee having a work related injury that resulted in loss time is pretty remarkable. I sincerely hope you will join me in applauding Hinckley Yachts on this accomplishment – we would expect nothing less from one of the best.
In closing, if I can ever be of any assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at home in Trenton at 667-9629, or in Augusta at 287-1515, or toll free, 1-800-423-6900. I look forward to hearing from you.
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