Dragon Cement Division Receives National Award for Safety Record

Dragon Cement and Concrete has received a national safety award from the Portland Cement Association for operating more than 500,000 hours without a lost-time accident.

In all, Dragon's Cement Division went two years, representing 594,200 work hours, without a lost-time injury among the 112 employees in the division. The achievement set a new record, eclipsing the old mark of 494,000 hours.

In recent years, Dragon's Concrete Division set a similar record for completing three years without a lost-time injury at the 10 concrete plants stretching from Biddeford to Madawaska.

The safety records are a reflection of the success of an innovative, incentive-based safety program initiated by Dragon three years ago, company officials said.

"We have a very innovative and attentive team at the Thomaston plant," said Joseph M. Koch, III, president of the company. "It's a safe place to work and that's important for our employees and the Thomaston community."

Thornton E. Batty of South Thomaston, the plant's process manager, was in Dallas recently to accept the award, presented by the Skokie, Ill.-based Portland Cement Association, which represents cement companies in the U.S. and Canada.