SEATTLE, WA -Two companies and three individuals have been recognized for leadership and excellence at an annual international competition designed to reward workplace health and safety champions.
The 15,000-member SafetyXChange.org community released its annual Saxcies global safety awards on June 30, 2009 at the SafetyXChange Video Saxcies Awards website. Here are the winners:
For corporate leadership and commitment to safety as a business imperative, Ward Manufacturing received the highest recognition: The Henshaw Award for Corporate Leadership in Safety. "Based upon strong corporate leadership, the company has demonstrated they recognize the value of their workers and the preservation of their health and safety. With the implementation of effective management systems, they have achieved significant improvement in injury and illness rates - well below industry averages," said John Henshaw.
James "Skipper" Kendrick, Director of EHS Training at Textron Inc., was named Safety Trainer of the Year for continuing excellence in the field of safety training. Skipper has pioneered the use of both the web and video at Textron to broadly deliver effective safety messages - and results. One video, titled "Safety Starts with Me", included Textron's CEO, was translated into 9 languages, and was viewed by almost all Textron employees, with over 26,000 worldwide downloads.
Robert Duckworth, Senior Manager of HSE at Fluor Corporation was awarded Safety Hero of the Year for his heroic efforts in rescuing four teenagers from a vehicle that had slid into a 60-foot deep snow-covered embankment. Not only did Duckworth choose to stop that day, but remained to assist in the extrication and stabilization of the injured, all of whom have made full recoveries.
Lauryn Franzoni, Vice President and Executive Director of ExecuNet, received the SafetyXChange Contributor of the Year Award for her outstanding commitment to SafetyXChange. Nominated and selected by members of the SafetyXChange community, her contributions are estimated to include over 150 articles, with advice and information to readers focused on the intersection of safety, careers, and management.
Russell Construction was awarded Safety Program of the Year for excellence in safety program development, demonstrated by efforts starting in 2006 to establish a "zero-injury safety culture" throughout the organization. The results have been outstanding, with the company surpassing 1,000,000 consecutive man-hours without a lost-time injury.
Details of the winners' achievements, as well as the achievements of all 2009 nominees, can be found on the Saxcies webpage at the Saxcies Finalists' Site.
About the Award
Saxcies award recipients are presented with a replica of a helmet worn by the warriors of the Greek city-state of
Corinth in approximately 500 BC. "The helmet symbolizes civic commitment and a pledge to sacrifice for the security of the community," explains Demby. "It's also a symbol of enlightenment that artists of the time displayed in their depictions of Ancient Greece's leading thinkers, including Socrates, Plato and Aristotle."
About SafetyXChange.org
SafetyXChange.org has committed itself to fostering an active, international community that promotes and shares fresh thinking and insight on workplace safety issues. Approximately 15,000 members participate in the community, receive free daily e-newsletters and access more than 1,500 articles and tools in the community's archives. Additional information about SafetyXChange.org and the Saxcies is available at SafetyXChange.org.