Two Mondi Industrial Bags Plants Earn PSSMA Safety Honors

The Industrial Bags business of Mondi in North America has earned PSSMA awards for plant safety at its Louisville, Kentucky and Salt Lake City, Utah manufacturing facilities. The awards were presented by Paper Shipping Sack Manufacturers Association chairman Don Belmont at the organization’s April 20 seminar in Atlanta.

According to Mark Ushpol, president, Mondi Industrial Bags in North America, the awards reflect Mondi’s zero harm safety philosophy and fundamental values included in The Mondi Way.

“Passion for performance, caring and acting with Integrity are Mondi’s core values practiced worldwide,” he says. “They effectively cultivate a safe, productive and harmonious work environment and are largely responsible for the accolades we collected today.”

On behalf of the Salt Lake City facility, health, safety and environmental coordinator Melaina Mansanarez accepted the 2015 “Outstanding Plant Annual Safety Improvement Award for Plants with Over 350,000 Man Hours.” Industrial Bags’ manager corporate SHE John Raevuori accepted on behalf of Louisville’s facility for “Outstanding Plant Safety Experience for 150,000 Man-incident Free Hours in 2015.”

Salt Lake City cut its number of recordable injuries in half, from 6 in 2014 to 3 in 2015. The Louisville plant is now approaching its third consecutive man-incident free year.

Overall, the Industrial Bags business of Mondi in North America improved recordables by 32% year-over-year, reducing its TRCR from 2.73 to 2.03.

According to Salt Lake City’s Mansanarez, management commitment to improving equipment guarding and a renewed emphasis on Lockout Tagout procedures played a key role in the plant’s improved safety record. Lockout Tagout safeguards employees from coming into contact with hazardous energy. As part of Mondi’s HSE improvement plan and to focus on top risks the company’s goals for 2016 include an emphasis on working safely at heights.