LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 1, 2018)—Labor Cabinet Department of Workplace Standards Commissioner Ervin Dimeny visited DuPont Louisville Works today to present a Governor’s Safety and Health Award for the 1,943,962 production hours worked without a lost-time incident by employees.
“On behalf of Gov. Bevin and the Labor Cabinet, I would like to congratulate DuPont Louisville Works on earning its second Governor’s Safety and Health Award,” said Labor Secretary Derrick Ramsey. “Working almost two million hours without a lost-time incident does not occur without the dedication from each employee in the company to workplace safety, and I commend this dedication. Companies like DuPont Louisville Works are setting the standard for safe workplaces in Kentucky, and I hope others follow their lead.”
The DuPont Louisville Works site manufacturers DuPont Tedlar, which is primarily used in photovoltaic solar cells and aircraft manufacturing. DuPont invented the polymer used to make Tedlar in the 1940s, and by the 1950s, began developing products based on the material. In 1961, DuPont registered the Tedlar brand name in the U.S., and that same year, construction started on the Louisville manufacturing unit. Currently, the Louisville DuPont has over 40 employees at its Louisville facility.
“Since the plant opened in 1961 here in Louisville, employee safety has been paramount,” said Ryan Maus, plant manager. “It is one of our company’s core values. We are proud to receive the Governor’s Safety and Health Award as it is recognition for each employee that puts safety first every day and commitment to zero injuries.”
“This milestone of having worked 1,943,962 hours without a lost time injury is monumental,” Sen. Gerald D. Neal (Louisville) said. “It is certainly a tribute to the high standards of DuPont and to the dedication of its workforce. Congratulations to DuPont and to all the employees on this achievement.”
The Kentucky Labor Cabinet presents the Governor’s Safety and Health Award to highlight outstanding safety and health performance in Kentucky’s workplaces. A business may qualify for the award if its employees achieve a required number of hours worked without experiencing a lost-time injury or illness. The required number of hours is dependent upon the number of employees.
According to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Kentucky employers reported the lowest incident rate for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in the state’s history.
Based on a mathematical calculation that describes the number of recordable incidents per 100 full-time employees, Kentucky’s incident rate improved from 3.7 in 2015 to 3.4 in 2016. This rate has steadily declined since it was first calculated in 1996, when a rate of 8.4 was reported.
Along with the Kentucky Safety and Health Network, the Division of Occupational Safety & Health Education & Training also co-hosts the Governor’s Safety and Health Conference and Exposition each year. The 34th annual conference will take place next month at the Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green from May 8-11, 2018. For more info and to register for the conference, please visit kshn.net.
For more information on the Governor’s Safety and Health Award, click here.
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