Stellantis’ Indiana Transmission Plant (ITP) recently marked more than 25 million man-hours worked without losing time due to an employee injury. That’s more than 2,225 days or just over nine years.
“ITP’s remarkable accomplishment reinforces Stellantis’ commitment to fostering a culture of safety across all our facilities,” said Tobin J. Williams, senior vice president for human resources, Stellantis North America. “By prioritizing the well-being of our employees, we not only ensure their individual safety, but also contribute to the overall success and sustainability of our operations.”
ITP joins two other North American facilities in breaking the 25-million mark. The Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada, and the Saltillo North Engine Plant in Mexico have reached more than 44 million and 32 million man-hours worked without a lost time injury, respectively.
“ITP, Brampton Assembly and Saltillo North Engine are truly leading by example with their focus on safety first,” said Michael J. Resha, head of manufacturing, Stellantis North America. “By sharing best practices across our plants, we are committing to protecting each other and maintaining a heightened awareness for safety.”
“For ITP, this milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our Kokomo team in upholding safety as a core value,” said David Dukes, Indiana Transmission plant manager. “Our top priority is ensuring that our employees return home safely to their families each day.”
To ensure this streak continues, the ITP team is seeking ways to further improve safety for the future.
Earlier this year, the plant integrated backup cameras into its powered industrial vehicle (PIV) tugger fleets’ safety systems. PIVs are used to deliver material to the assembly line. These cameras are activated when the PIV is in reverse, allowing for increased visibility all the way around the vehicle.
Because the PIV tuggers often pull multiple carts connected to each other, the team also upgraded the hitch/lever connection systems, eliminating a pinch point and reducing the force the driver needs to open the hitch during delivery.
These upgrades produced significant safety improvements, with a more than 50% decrease in the total PIV tugger Job Safety Risk Assessment (JSRA) score, an industry scoring process that identifies potential hazards and injuries associated with each step of a job task. The upgrades also reduced the need for operators to get off the tugger by nearly 100% and reduced multiple JSRA-classified strain/sprains.
Motion sensors also were installed on all internal doors to detect pedestrian or PIV movement that trigger flashing red LED lights, alerting both pedestrians and PIV operators of potential traffic and thereby ensuring safe passage through intersections.
Additionally, management at ITP is focused on continuing to foster a culture of safety through daily one-on-one Wellbeing, Health & Safety (WHS) conversations with represented employees, covering a diverse range of safety-related topics. Since August 2023, there have been more than 8,000 WHS conversations recorded, enhancing safety knowledge across the shop floor and fostering employee mentorship.
The Indiana Transmission Plant assembles six- and nine-speed transmissions for Stellantis vehicles.
SOURCE: Stellantis
