Foundries and machine shops are notoriously known for being dangerous places, but one Indiana foundry is changing the tides of the industry. Bremen Castings Inc. (BCI) in Bremen, Indiana has recorded one million man hours without a lost time accident. A lost time accident is defined as an occurrence that resulted in a fatality, permanent disability or lost time from work of one day or shift, and possibly more.
President JB Brown notes, “We’ve implanted strategies and procedures to make sure that each and every employee is accountable for each others safety while at work,” says Brown. “We require all employees to file ‘near miss’ reports if they notice something is amiss. For example, if a cable is in the way or there is a slippery step, the employee is responsible for moving it and filing a report to inform upper management of the issue.” Brown adds that the executive team then analyzes the reports to determine how to implement changes that would prevent a potential situation from occurring in the future.
