CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif., August 12, 2015 – Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company, the industry’s largest manufacturer of refrigerated trailers and a leading manufacturer of dry freight vans, flatbeds, and Tautliner® curtainsided trailers is pleased to announce that its Glade Spring, Virginia manufacturing plant has received the Liberty Mutual Insurance Gold Safety Award.
Liberty Mutual’s Safety Awards are based on DART rate (Days Away, Restricted and Transferred), which is calculated from the number of hours worked relative to the number of accidents at the plant. Lower numbers of accidents result in lower DART rates. To qualify for the Gold Safety Award, the plant’s DART rate must be at least 80% better than the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) trailer manufacturing industry’s average DART of 4.2, with a minimum of 200,000 work-hours.
In 2014, Utility’s Glade Spring plant achieved a 0.84 DART Rate (80% better than the industry average), continuing a multi-year trend of decreasing DART rates. “Our improved DART rate reflects a continuing emphasis by both management and our employees on preventing and managing incidents, and our comprehensive Return to Work program. We have hundreds of reasons to work safely, and those would be all of our employees and their families here at Glade Spring. Our management is committed to knowing each one by name as we work together to ensure each other’s safety,” said Gregg Reynolds, Utility’s Glade Spring Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Manager.
“This is another significant milestone. The Glade Spring plant has now received its 3rd Liberty Safety Award. This is the first Gold Award for the Glade Spring plant, and only the second Gold Award ever given by Liberty to Utility Trailer. We couldn’t have achieved this Award without the continuous focus by our employees on safety, and without the quality medical care provided to our employees by our local doctors. We appreciate everyone’s efforts,” said Bob Griffis, Corporate EHS Manager for Utility Trailer Manufacturing.
Richard D. Williams (CDS, CDT), of Liberty Mutual Insurance, Risk Control Services, presented the Gold Safety Award to Sam Cassell, Plant Manager, and the entire management team, on behalf of all Utility’s Glade Spring employees. Mr. Williams stated: “It was my honor to present the Liberty Mutual Gold Safety award to the managers and workers of the Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company’s location at Glade Spring, Virginia. It is very difficult to qualify for this award and not many are presented to Liberty Mutual customers. This achievement shows the commitment of the Glade Spring location and Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company to have a safe working environment for its workers. Congratulations for this great achievement.”
About Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company
Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company is America’s first privately owned, family-operated trailer manufacturer. Founded in 1914, the company designs and manufactures dry freight vans, flatbeds, refrigerated vans, Tautliner® curtainsided trailers, and side skirts. Utility currently operates five trailer manufacturing facilities across the United States. Utility’s 3000R® and the 3000R® multi-temp refrigerated trailers are manufactured at the Marion, Virginia and Clearfield, Utah plants. The 4000D-X Composite® and 4000D™ dry vans are manufactured at the Glade Spring, Virginia and Paragould, Arkansas plants. The 4000A®, 4000S™, and drop deck flatbeds as well as the Tautliner® are all manufactured at the Enterprise, Alabama facility. Utility also has an extensive independent dealer network with over 100 locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America. Visit: www.utilitytrailer.com for more information.