CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif., September 10, 2014 – 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 Paragould, Arkansas manufacturing plant has received the Liberty Mutual Insurance Gold Safety Award.
Liberty Mutual’s Safety Awards are based on DART rates (Days Away, Restricted and Transferred), which are calculated by factoring the number of hours worked relative to the number of accidents at the plant. Low occurrences of accidents result in lower DART rates. In order to qualify for the Gold Safety Award, a DART rate of at least 80% better than the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is needed with a minimum of 200,000 work hours.
For the 2013 year, Utility’s Paragould plant achieved a DART rate of 1.10, which is 80% lower than the trailer manufacturing industry’s average of 5.5. “We are grateful for being recognized by Liberty Mutual and receiving their Gold Safety Award. This award is evidence of Utility’s commitment to safety, and was made possible by the support of Utility’s owners, management and our employees,” said Sean Graddy, Utility’s Paragould Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Manager.
“This is a major accomplishment. None of our facilities have ever received a Gold Award. This is the 8th Liberty Safety Award for the Paragould plant. Our employees and management team deserve all the credit for keeping themselves and their fellow employees safe,” said Bob Griffis, Corporate EHS Manager for Utility Trailer Manufacturing.
The Gold Safety Award was presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance, Dale Innis (CSP), Risk Control Services to David Neighbors and the entire management team on behalf of all Utility’s Paragould employees. Mr. Innis praised the Paragould plant’s safety record stating: “Liberty Mutual would like to congratulate the employees and management for their outstanding safety performance in achieving this award. Only a small percentage of companies qualify for Liberty Mutual’s Gold Award. Everyone at Utility’s Paragould, Arkansas plant should be proud of this achievement.”
Utility currently operates five trailer manufacturing facilities across the United States. The Clearfield, Utah and Marion, Virginia plants manufacture Utility’s #1 selling refrigerated trailer. Utility dry vans are manufactured in Paragould, Arkansas and Glade Spring, Virginia. Utility also has a facility in Enterprise, Alabama that manufactures flatbeds and Tautliners. For more information about Utility Trailer Manufacturing, visit: www.utilitytrailer.com.