MADISON—Three Dane County companies will receive Wisconsin Corporate Safety Awards in recognition of workplace safety and health excellence at a program Monday, April 18, as part of the 63^rd Annual Wisconsin Safety and Health Congress Expo at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

Alliant Energy-Wisconsin Power & Light, Kilgust Mechanical, Inc., and Monsanto Company Agracetus Campus, are three of 17 businesses that will receive honors at Monday’s program.

The Wisconsin Corporate Safety Awards are co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Council of Safety, and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. The 11th annual awards program honors businesses for exemplary safety records and excellence in health and safety management.

“These companies make safety a top priority and adhere to the best industry practices,” said Bryan Roessler, Wisconsin Council of Safety director. “Their innovative safety programs are models for the rest of the state and nation. A solid safety program is a must for Wisconsinbusinesses to stay competitive.”

An independent panel of 48 judges, including leaders in business, health and safety, evaluated the nominations based on injury incidence rates over the last three years, health and safety procedures, policies and accomplishments.

The Wisconsin Council of Safety is a charitable non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to making Wisconsina safe and healthy place to live and work. As Wisconsin’s chapter of the National Safety Council, the WCS promotes safety and health programs, resource services and educational materials for community outreach.

For more information on the Wisconsin Council of Safety, visit www.wischamberfoundation.org.

2004 WisconsinCorporate Safety Award Winner
Alliant Energy-Wisconsin Power and Light, Madison
Category -Agricultural, Forestry, Transportation, Mining and Utilities

Alliant Energy Corporation is an energy-service provider with both domestic and international operations. Headquartered in Madison, it’s top priority is to provide domestic utility customers in the Midwestwith electric and natural gas services. Alliant Energy-Wisconsin Power and Light (WPL) serves 437,000 electric customers, 173,000 natural gas customers and employs 1,497 people in Wisconsin.

Alliant Energy-WPL strives for best in class and is committed to safety. In 2004, the company continued to expand its ergonomics program. A Lean Six Sigma team initiated a one-year pilot program for line employees in three locations that were experiencing a high rate of strain and sprain injuries. The pilot included a more intensive stretching and strengthening program, ergonomic job task analysis and individual consultations. The initiative was a success, recording a 94 percent decrease in recordable strain and sprain injuries in the pilot areas. Lessons learned from the pilot are being utilized to implement safety improvement efforts in other areas of the company.

Lean Six Sigma teams were also used in 2004 to make recommendations to improve safety performance related to driving safety, slips, trips and falls, electrical shocks, line connectors, personal protective equipment, safety training and MSDS management system.

In 2004, the company implemented a formal Safety Management System. While safety starts at the top, Alliant Energy-WPL continues to believe that employee involvement is one of the cornerstones to the success of its safety program. Each employee has the responsibility of ensuring their personal safety, the safety of co-workers and the safety of the public to help ensure its future success and growth.

Visitors, temporary workers and frequenters to the company headquarters office receive a brochure upon entry into the building to inform them of what to do in the event of an emergency. At the power plants, visitors must review a safety video that covers safety requirements, concerns and evacuation instructions.

A corporate wide safety goal, tied to incentive compensation for 2004, was to close out all assessment items within 90 days of being identified. The company encourages employees to report near misses and gives them the option of reporting anonymously to encourage participation. All near-miss reports are posted on the company’s internal website. Near misses are also distributed to work environment safety teams for review. If the safety team identifies a trend, they determine how to communicate this information to employees usually via its safety suggestion program. The program allows employees to make suggestions on how to improve safety or to express their concern about a safety issue. All concerns are logged and reviewed by a team consisting of safety staff, management, and bargaining unit employees. The safety department, operations, or members of safety committees determine the appropriate action steps for each suggestion.

In 2004, the company conducted Safety Days throughout the state at strategic facilities, allowing it to provide training on many different safety topics during one special day devoted specifically to safety. The day is also an opportunity to recognize employees for their contributions to safety.

Alliant Energy-WPL has been a Corporate Safety Award winner every year since 1996. The success of its achievements has enabled 111 Alliant Energy locations across the company in four states to work the

entire year without a Lost Time Injury. In addition, this year, five employees were honored for their exceptional safety performance.

Its 2005 safety goals include a stretch goal reduction in the severity and recordable rate of 10 percent with a target goal of five percent, resolution of issues discovered during assessments within 60 days, and completion of priority items identified through its audit.

Contact: Mark Hawley, Sr. Safety Consultant, 608-458-5795.

2004 WisconsinCorporate Safety Award Winner
Kilgust Mechanical, Inc., Madison
Category - Construction

Kilgust Mechanical, Inc., founded in 1928, offers complete mechanical contracting services from engineering, design, installation, and service to HVAC, process piping systems, sheet metal and building automation for commercial, institutional and industrial clients.

In 2004, its 120 employees continued to surpass the national benchmark with a 1.77 lost time injury incidence rate. Its lost time rate was nearly 60 percent better than the industry average.

The company’s management participation is important to the success of the program. It continually takes a proactive, hands-on approach towards safety. Employees are trained in many topics at least monthly, in addition to weekly toolbox talks. During these sessions, employees are encouraged to share questions, experiences, and ideas on the topics.

Employees are trained on proper techniques in general material handling, including proper lifting techniques, proper hand/body positioning, and the use of mechanical assistance. Employees are fitted and trained in proper personal protective equipment.

Its return-to-work program is very important to the overall success of its safety program. The company has also created procedures to protect employees in the event of emergencies such as fire, tornado, or large chemical spills. A business continuity plan is in place for more severe emergencies and disasters as well as workplace violence.

The plan ensures the business is able to quickly respond to the interruption and provide personnel with the ability to lessen the impact of the disaster and ensure minimal downtime while protecting them from harm.

In 2004, Kilgust employees worked six months without a recordable injury, and the company has set a goal to achieve zero accidents or injuries.

Contact: Brain Efinger, Safety Director, 608-222-9196.

Category - Other

The Agracetus Campus is a research and development site within the Biotechnology organization of Monsanto Company. Agracetus was founded in 1981 and became part of Monsanto in 1996. It is the primary site within Monsanto for the soybean biotechnology pipeline. The 110,000 square foot facility consists of laboratory, greenhouse, and administrative support space. It currently has about 60 full-time employees, consisting of scientists, scientific support, and administrative staff.

Its commitment to safety and health and its vibrant safety culture are the primary reasons the Agracetus Campus safety and health program exceeds industry standards. Site commitment is demonstrated by strong management support and great teamwork.

Agracetus qualified as an OSHA VPP Star site in 2003. The OSHA VPP Audit team commended management commitment and safety goal setting as areas of excellence. It became the first research and development VPP site in Wisconsinand the first VPP site in DaneCounty. In addition, the Agracetus Campus received the Monsanto Global Safety and Health Site Award for the excellence of the site’s safety and health program.

Its safety culture is the strength of the site’s safety and health program. All employees are involved in the safety and health program thought the requirement for an annual meaningful safety and health goal. Over 50 percent of its employees participate in a safety and health committees or teams. As the site implemented ergonomics improvements over the last four years, it has reduced its recordable injuries related to repetitive motion injuries to zero.

All employees are held accountable for safety and health performance through the Monsanto Development, Performance, and Reward (DPR) process. As part of this process, all employees are measured on their safety performance each year.

The site implemented a variety of voluntary safety and health training to promote its safety culture. In 2004, voluntary training included a fire safety seminar by the Middleton Fire Department, hands-on fire extinguisher training, basic CPR and First Aid training for all employees, and a home safety program. The home safety program consists of a series of six bimonthly home safety booklets to reinforce different home safety concepts.

In 2004, the company modified its near miss program because it effectiveness began to diminish. It was retooled and expanded to include safety suggestions, safety-related work orders, and home safety near misses. The Safety and Health Committee also implemented a near miss incentive program, rewarding employees with a $5 gift card for each reported near miss, safety suggestion or safety-related worker order identifying a valid corrective action. All award winning entries are discussed in front of all employees at monthly site meetings. In 2004, employees submitted 62 near misses, 23 safety-related work orders and three safety suggestions.

Also in 2004, the site formed a Hazard Assessment Team, which is responsible for the pre-use review of new chemicals and equipment, and the hazard assessment of existing equipment and projects. Over the past two years, they have completed the hazard assessment and coordination of corrective actions on over 30 pieces of equipment and work processes.

Contact: Richard A. Senn, Environmental Health and Safety Manager, 608-821-3404.