Record equals more than 500,000 hours

The Concrete Division of Dragon Cement and Concrete has successfully completed three years -- or nearly 500,000 hours -- without a lost-time injury among the 80 or so employees in the division.

The new safety record marks the fifth time in eight years that the division, with 10 concrete plants stretching from Biddeford to Madawaska, has been recognized for safety achievements.

"We give all the credit for this accomplishment to our employees," said Dave Grinnell, vice president and head of the Concrete Division. "We initiated a new program a couple of years ago that is clearly working. But our employees are a key part of making that program work. Their commitment to following safe work practices was key. We couldn't have done it without them."

Grinnell, who joined Dragon in 1991, is a resident of Scarborough.

"Dave Grinnell runs a tight ship and a very safe operation - statewide," said Joseph M. Koch, III, president of Dragon Cement and Concrete and also immediate past chair of the Maine State Chamber. "Our goal is to send everyone home as healthy as they were when they arrived, and this record shows we have achieved that goal for three years running now."

The safety program launched two years ago at Dragon includes a number of incentives as well as an internal system for reporting unsafe practices.  For example, when employees in each division go a full quarter without a lost-time injury, all employees in that division receive a gift certificate safety reward.  In addition, employees fill out forms to report unsafe practices, so the situation can be corrected to prevent mishaps.  Each quarter the employees go without a lost-time injury, the higher the amount of the gift certificates.

Although the incentive program costs the company money, Dragon officials say workplace safety is an important part of working at Dragon and that a successful program will benefit the employees, their families, and the company.