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Columns

What was the safety job like before OSHA?

 job safety history
October 1, 2016

The following excerpts are from issues of Safety Product News, the original title of ISHN, from 1969


Glenn G. Fleming

Glenn G. Fleming, Director of Safety and Plant Protection at Celanese Corporation, is one of the pioneers of industrial safety.

Prior to World War II, he was active in safety in the steel, alcohol distilling, and heavy construction industries. Volunteering his service at the start of the War, he guided the West Virginia Ordnance Plant to the lowest injury experience rating of all TNT plants in the United States.

Appointed to his present position in 1948, he developed a program of standardizing and coordinating the accident and fire prevention activities of the Celanese plants and laboratories throughout the corporation.

Raymond A. Hibler

Raymond A. Hibler, Specialist in Employee Relations, authors the formal policies which outline safety regulations at General Electric Company’s Switchgear Plant in Burlington, Iowa. Mr. Hibler is responsible for investigating and reporting accidents and remedying hazardous plant conditions. He also serves as central coordinator of the in-plant fire brigade and conducts a first-aid instructional course for front-line supervisory personnel.

To promote high safety standards, Ray develops and actively participates in plant-wide employee suggestion programs, and organizes safety campaigns publicizing the effective use of safe devices and procedures.

Charles W. Borden

Charles W. Borden, Manager of Safety at The Cesco Corporation since 1965, administers and coordinates a very professional and successful safety program. He and his safety staff, an assistant safety manager and departmental supervisors, work together using every promotional tactic available to maintain high interest in safety.

Prospective employees get pre-employment physicals, and are issued employee handbooks which cover the safety aspects of every job in the plant. New workers get face-to-face, in-depth briefings on the safety specifics of their new jobs. The company provides workers with safety glasses, and safety shoes are available on a payroll deduction basis.

Safety supervisors make daily safety contacts and keep written records of them. Payroll stuffers and bulletin boards promote accident prevention. Films, lectures, and group safety meetings discuss the subject more formally.

Safe work is rewarded with free coffee, free lunch, and prizes to individual workers.

S.M MacCutcheon

S.M. MacCutcheon, Director of Corporate Safety and Loss Prevention at Dow Chemical Company, coordinates the safety program of the 32 major Dow locations in the United States. Aiding him in administrating the corporate-wide safety program is a staff of more than fifty.

A graduate of Northwestern University, Mr. MacCutcheon joined Dow as Safety Engineer in the Midland Division in 1935. He advanced to Manager of the Safety Department and held two other executive positions in the Midland Division before becoming Assistant Director of Corporate Safety and Loss Prevention in 1963. He was named to his present post in 1966.

Mr. MacCutcheon directs an extremely successful personnel safety and fire prevention program which is implemented primarily by line management. Frequency rate reduction has averaged 15 percent annually for the past six years. He works hard to strengthen the concept of mutuality of safety and loss prevention, and actively promulgates the Corporate Guides covering various aspects of the overall safety program.

KEYWORDS: safety professionals

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