7 Tire Makers Earn Safety Awards

April 11, 2019

Seven tire manufacturers with U.S. production facilities were recognized by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) for their safety records and improvements.

The 2019 Sustainability Award for Safety and Health carries on the USTMA's "Safety and Health Improvement Program(SHIP) Awards," which were created in 1981 and renamed in 2018.

“USTMA members share an aspirational vision for the U.S. tire manufacturing industry of zero injuries and illnesses in the workplace,” said Anne Forristall Luke, CEO and president of USTMA. “This recognition highlights the safety programs, technologies and systems that advance progress toward meeting our vision on workplace safety.”

The annual survey included data submitted by 49 plants, including tread rubber manufacturing, inner tube manufacturing, aircraft tire manufacturing and tire manufacturing. The data supplied to USTMA is identical to information provided to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which publishes annual injury and illness information on all industries.

Tire makers were eligible for four awards.

The Leadership Award recognizes companies that share successful safety initiatives with all USTMA members:

Bridgestone Americas Inc.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

Michelin North America Inc.

The Innovation Award honors companies that implement proactive programs, technologies or systems to improve workplace safety and health systems and cultures. 

Michelin

Bridgestone

The Excellence Award is given to facilities that have a Days Away, Restricted or Transfer (DART) rate, which measures serious injuries and illnesses in the workplace, that is 75% better than the industry average. Four plants were winners.

Michelin: Dothan, Ala. and Greenville, S.C.

Pirelli Tire North America: Rome, Ga.

Yokohama Tire Corp.: West Point, Miss.

An Improvement Award is presented to facilities that have a DART rate that is at least 10% better than the facility’s prior year performance and is better than the industry average for 2018.

Bridgestone:

Two facilities in Graniteville, S.C.

Morrison, Tenn.

Russellville, Ark.

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.:

Tupelo, Miss.

Michelin:

Two facilities in Greenville, S.C.

Starr, S.C.

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Covington, Ga.

Toyo Tire Holdings of America Inc.:

White, Ga.

 “In recent years OSHA, leading safety and health experts, and USTMA members have recognized that when addressing workplace safety and health, measuring for success has to go beyond data collection of injury rates” said Jesse Levine, USTMA director of environment and safety regulatory affairs. “What we’ve learned is that achieving true success in this area is also driven by factors such as a strong organizational culture and effective systems and processes. USTMA members are constantly striving for ways to improve these indicators, and we are proud to recognize the cultures and systems driving workplace safety at our members’ facilities through the new awards.”