At Hirsh Industries in Dover safety is a big priority, so much so the manufacturing company has gone more than a year and a half without a serious injury at its McKee Road factory.

Gov. Jack Markell and Delaware Economic Development Office head Alan Levin honored the company for its achievement, and for its contribution to the state’s economy, at an employee recognition ceremony Oct. 28.

“What you’ve done is not only good for you, it’s good for the state,” Markell told 185 workers at the Hirsh plant. “What you’ve done is indicate the quality of the workforce in Delaware overall.”

The governor praised the Iowa-based company for keeping a factory in Delaware when the economy forced other firms to close manufacturing facilities in the state. He also tied the success of Hirsh’s employees to the recent announcement that Fisker Automotive, a maker of luxury electric cars, will take over the recently closed General Motors Boxwood plant near Newark.

“We could have the best location in the world, and our government could be the most responsive, but if [companies] felt like they don’t have a great workforce, they’re not going to come here,” Markell said.

In 2006 Hirsh, which manufactures office filing cabinets, received a state grant to help update safety procedures and provide better safety training to its employees. To date, the company has received more than $100,000 in funds from DEDO and seen its time-lost accident rate drop dramatically.

Ken Merr, health and safety manager at the plant, said the grant funds have been well spent.
“With that money we brought in trainers and consultants who identified safety concerns we could address,” he said.

In addition to hiring Safety Compliance Inc., a New York firm charged with streamlining safety at the plant, Hirsh also put together a safety committee comprised of employees who review possible safety concerns raised by their coworkers.

Dover resident Gale Henry, who has worked at Hirsh for 37 years, said the committee has been one of the most important contributors to the success of the safety plan.

“You have to give credit to the people, it’s been really good,” she said. “With the safety committee, if you see something, you can tell them and it will get taken care of.”

Merr, who took it upon himself to produce his own series of safety videos in favor of the usual canned films workers often sit through, said the accident-free period is rare and remarkable.

“One year without lost time is a huge accomplishment,” he said. “but 500 days and counting, that means we are for real.”

Email Doug Denison at doug.denison@doverpost.com.