PDQ Manufacturing
Car Wash Manufacturer
On July 4 this year, millions of Americans proudly celebrated the 235th birthday of the United States. July 4, 2011, was a proud day for an additional reason for the employees of PDQ Manufacturing, Inc., as they reveled in the passing of 1,000 days—since Oct. 7, 2008—without a lost-time injury at the company’s manufacturing facility. This was another major milestone in PDQ’s exemplary safety record. In 2009 and 2010 PDQ was the recipient of the Dover Corporation’s Lowest Accident Incident Rate Award, making it the safest of Dover’s 36 operating companies.
“The thing that has really helped put us in this position is that we really put safety into the forefront of the company culture,” explained Scott Vander Heiden, Operations Manager for PDQ Manufacturing. “We make sure we have a very clean, orderly work environment. We really work at getting the workplace in order and take things out of the work environment that aren’t necessary. We also make sure we are standardized in how we have the plant laid out in terms of parts and tools, and make sure that everything is put back in its proper place.”
Since 2001, PDQ’s focus on the highest level of safety possible has included Lean Manufacturing principles and ergonomics that really make safety a high priority, as well as 6S workplace-organization methodology audits that identify where safety can be improved. Two years ago, PDQ implemented DuPont’s STOP™ Safety Training Observation Program that uses the informal observations of employees to assess either good safety behavior, or identifies aspects safety behavior that can be improved.
Of course, PDQ’s employees play a prominent role in the success of the company’s safety program, mainly by buying into the importance of workplace safety and then adhering to the proper safety procedures. PDQ’s management acknowledges the pivotal role that its employees have played in ensuring the company’s unblemished safety record since October 2008, and regularly rewards them through a series of incentives, such as a traveling trophy and lunch for the department with the best 6S record, a chicken dinner for the entire staff after three months without a recordable safety incident and public recognition at all-employee meetings.
“What it boils down to is attitude and behaviors,” said Vander Heiden. “We have a great workforce and that really contributes to it. It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point, and we truly believe that if people perform their jobs well they will be a lot safer. Another big thing is that we have employees who are constantly looking out for each other. That really helps explain why we hold the best safety record within all of Dover, and why we’ve been able to go 1,000-plus days without an injury incident.”
“The thing that has really helped put us in this position is that we really put safety into the forefront of the company culture,” explained Scott Vander Heiden, Operations Manager for PDQ Manufacturing. “We make sure we have a very clean, orderly work environment. We really work at getting the workplace in order and take things out of the work environment that aren’t necessary. We also make sure we are standardized in how we have the plant laid out in terms of parts and tools, and make sure that everything is put back in its proper place.”
Since 2001, PDQ’s focus on the highest level of safety possible has included Lean Manufacturing principles and ergonomics that really make safety a high priority, as well as 6S workplace-organization methodology audits that identify where safety can be improved. Two years ago, PDQ implemented DuPont’s STOP™ Safety Training Observation Program that uses the informal observations of employees to assess either good safety behavior, or identifies aspects safety behavior that can be improved.
Of course, PDQ’s employees play a prominent role in the success of the company’s safety program, mainly by buying into the importance of workplace safety and then adhering to the proper safety procedures. PDQ’s management acknowledges the pivotal role that its employees have played in ensuring the company’s unblemished safety record since October 2008, and regularly rewards them through a series of incentives, such as a traveling trophy and lunch for the department with the best 6S record, a chicken dinner for the entire staff after three months without a recordable safety incident and public recognition at all-employee meetings.
“What it boils down to is attitude and behaviors,” said Vander Heiden. “We have a great workforce and that really contributes to it. It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point, and we truly believe that if people perform their jobs well they will be a lot safer. Another big thing is that we have employees who are constantly looking out for each other. That really helps explain why we hold the best safety record within all of Dover, and why we’ve been able to go 1,000-plus days without an injury incident.”
