Tips to Make Your Company a Safe and Healthy Workplace

PMA members can benefit from free safety and health advice

As we approach the end of the year, PMA members should take the time to reflect on their safety practices.

A safe and healthy work environment is proven to significantly reduce direct costs from workers’ compensation payments, medical expenses and legal services, as well as indirect costs including lost productivity, accident investigation, and training and replacing employees.

New safety processes are even resulting in improvements in productivity and profitability. One OSHA study cited a plant with 50 employees that decreased defects and saved more than $265,000 by following a more rigid health and safety program.

At the PMA, we take health and safety seriously and strongly encourage our members to do the same. For example, we’ve issued extensive MbOCA guidelines. We’ve also partnered with Dr. Ted Hogan, a leading Industrial Hygienist, who has developed the Comprehensive Safety and Health Model Program for our organization.

As a member, you can get up to up to two hours of industrial safety and health guidance from Dr. Hogan per year—at no charge. He can be reached at (877) 94-HOGAN or (630) 257-3939.

In the meantime, here are some tips from Dr. Hogan’s plan to help you create a safe and healthy working environment for employees.

• Have a mandated health and safety program.
• Develop a checklist and guidelines.
• Form a safety committee to improve and develop procedures.
• Maintain detailed records of accident reports and fatalities, illness or injuries.
• Schedule periodic safety inspections to examine equipment, hazards & jobs.
• Keep all work areas, floors and aisles in a clean condition.
• Clean up spills and leaks properly, particularly of TDI and MbOCA.
• Develop a written emergency evacuation plan and train each employee.

Breaking the Chain: Belts Bring New Benefits to Bicyclists

Polyurethane belts replace traditional metal roller chains

Bicycle chains are receiving a well-deserved upgrade, thanks to PMA member Gates Corporation. As featured in a recent New York Times article, polyurethane belt systems are all the rage among commuter and city bicyclists, who no longer have to bother with the burden of oiling and cleaning standard metal rolling chains.

Gates Corporation’s grease-free alternative belts are made of polyurethane and shot through with carbon cords, which increase tensile strength and resistance to weathering. On one side of the belt, a series of teeth work with metal pulleys to turn the belt as the pedals rotate.

The benefits of cast polyurethane belt systems extend beyond lower maintenance into greater durability and a quieter biking experience. Polyurethane belts last far longer than metal chains and are expected to grow immensely in popularity among bikers. They’re already included on models from top brands including Trek, Raleigh and Specialized Global.

The Gates Corporation, based in Denver, makes industrial and auto parts for a number of applications. The company has been developing bicycle belt systems since 2007. Its latest system, CenterTrack (available next year), expands its offerings in the growing bike commuter market.

Have your own polyurethane success story you want to share? Shoot us an email at bcampbell@insideSH.com

What Makes a Surprisingly Versatile Story?

PMA is always on the lookout for great stories, industry trends and case studies to use in our marketing efforts.

Your story ideas are vital, so that we can demonstrate the benefits of cast polyurethane in consistent and compelling ways.

We can reach out with these stories to our core industry publications, along with media related to members’ different industry segments—mining, oil and gas, tires and wheels, among others—because if we don’t share these stories, nobody else will.

So what really makes a good story?

Here are a few pointers on the types of stories we’re looking for:

• New urethane material or product announcements
• Examples of replacing parts traditionally made of metal or rubber with cast polyurethane
• How your company is advancing the cast polyurethane industry
• Industry trends you’re experiencing
• New industries you’re breaking into using cast polyurethane products
• Business issues you’re struggling with (i.e. lack of talent in the workforce)
• How you find value in your PMA membership
• Impact of regulations on member companies

By no means is that a full list—just some general guidelines. So if you or someone else at your company has a great story to share, we’re eager to hear it.

Tell us today in the comments. Or contact Brenda Campbell at bcampbell@InsideSH.com 414-270-3521.

End-of-Year Marketing Momentum: A Scholarship, a Survey and More

As the weather gets colder, PMA marketing efforts are heating up. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store for the rest of the year.

Scholarship Competition
We’re happy to launch the second annual Surprisingly Versatile design scholarship competition.

This year, we’ve adjusted the program slightly to encourage more entries. One winner will receive a $4,000 scholarship and $1,000 for travel expenses to the 2011 PMA Annual Meeting and Supplier Showcase.

Please spread the word to engineering students who may be interested in this fantastic opportunity. Read all the scholarship details.

Member Survey
Next month, we’ll be releasing the results from our member survey. We received a strong response from our membership and have a number of key findings to report.

By sharing findings with the media, as well, the report will help generate greater visibility for the association and our industry.

News and Networking
PMA continues to bring members new stories and information through this blog while also promoting content on Facebook and LinkedIn.

We’ll also be looking at speaking and partnership opportunities with similar associations and business groups.

And as always, we’re open to new marketing ideas, so please feel free to share yours with our marketing partner, Scheibel Halaska Inc., contact Brenda Campbell at bcampbell@InsideSH.com 414-270-3521.

Students: Test your design skills for a $4,000 scholarship!

Material science, design, and engineering students are encouraged to participate in the PMA’s Second Annual Surprisingly Versatile Design Competition. The student who exhibits the best, most versatile use of cast polyurethane will be awarded a $4,000 scholarship and receive $1,000 for travel expenses to attend the PMA’s 40th anniversary meeting on April 10-12, 2011 in Amelia Island, Fla. The competition requires a written report, design and finished prototype of a cast polyurethane part that is traditionally made of common metal, rubber or other plastic. The project will help students become more aware of the diverse capabilities of cast polyurethane.

The written report, design and finished prototype must be received by February 15, 2011. The winner will be selected by the PMA Education Panel and notified by mail in March.

For technical requirements, judging criteria and more information, please visit the PMA’s scholarship site at http://www.pmahome.org/scholarship.aspx.

Look for Us in the News

Check out October’s Rubber World and Manufacturing Digital and you’ll recognize a few members.

In the upcoming issue of Rubber World, PMA member Chuck Ruffing, technical director of Rubber Rolls Inc., discusses the benefits of using urethane instead of rubber where possible, including:
 More load-bearing capacity
 Greater tear strength
 Better compression set
 Stronger abrasion resistance
 Higher tolerance to greases, oils and ozone

In Manufacturing Digital, PMA shares the success stories various members have found post recession in capturing new opportunities—setting a great example for other manufacturers in the post-recession era. Several PMA members across the country are highlighted for their company’s efforts in finding new applications and gaining business back.

With advice from Jeff Dietrich, senior analyst of the Institute for Trend Research and speaker at the PMA Annual Meeting 2010, this article provides tips for manufacturers to maintain customers and remain profitable in 2010 and beyond.

As always, we encourage each of you to send us story ideas. You, too, can see your story in print. Until then, take a peek at our upcoming stories.

If you have a story to share, please send an email to Rachel McCormick at rmccormick@insideSH.com

Check Your Inbox for the PMA Membership Survey

To stay on top of the latest knowledge and trends in cast polyurethane, the PMA is rolling out our first member survey. In the next few weeks, all PMA members will be getting an email from us with a link to the survey online.

Please respond to the survey as soon as you can, answering all questions to the best of your knowledge. It should only take a few minutes.

Your feedback will help create benchmarks, allowing you to better understand the cast polyurethane market and where your company stands among other members. We’ll also use what we learn to help us promote the strength and vitality of the cast polyurethane industry in the coming year.

If you have any questions regarding the survey, please feel free to comment on this post or send us an email to the address provided below.

Want to see your story in this blog? Send an email to rmccormick@insidesh.com