Submitted by: Chanel Robinson

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Excellence in Safety Practice/Procedure
Unstable items on the shelf above the main copier. Removed them to prevent them from falling on someone.

Submitted by: Alan Battles on behalf of Cody Bryson & Bryson Shelton

Location: Attalla, AL

General Safety Concern:
Spotted smoke coming from the railroad. Identified the issue; no response needed, as it was off-site.

Submitted by: Samuel Edwards

Location: Taylors, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

While walking the plant at Sandy Flat, I noticed an oxygen bottle left with the safety cap open on the welding trailer, and one of the gauges missing its glass front. I immediately closed the safety cap, notified site management, and replaced the regulator.

Submitted by: Eric Robertson on behalf of Kyle Kush

Location: Wake Forest, NC

Situation: General Safety Concern

An old counterweight is hanging from a structure that is no longer in use. I put together a plan to remove this before any further work is done in the area. Removing it with a telehandler.

Submitted by: Matt Vesce

Location: Georgetown, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

During a management inspection, Eric found an unsafe condition at the top of the conveyor belt at the Winyah EHE. A guard was missing from the head pulley, and no signage or physical barrier prevented personnel from exiting the platform on top of the EHE.

A guard was installed, and a physical barrier was put up, limiting access to the top of the EHE.

Submitted by: Chadwick Williams

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

471-BC04 Belt was running with a broken pull cord; it was stopped, and the pull cord was repaired.

Locked out the belt and repaired the pull cord.

Submitted by: Damon Barton

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

An electrical junction box was observed with a missing cover, leaving internal wiring potentially exposed. This condition presents a risk of electrical shock, accidental contact with energized components, and a possible electrical fire.

The correction: Immediately report the condition to Maintenance/EHS. Have a qualified electrical technician inspect the junction box, verify the wiring condition, and install an approved protective cover. De-energize and secure the equipment until the hazard is evaluated and corrected. Line removed and connection secured.

Submitted by: Damon Barton

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

Multiple electrical cords were observed hanging unsecured along the front of the laboratory fume hood, with some extending toward the floor. This condition presents potential trip, snagging, and electrical hazards.

The correction: Secure and properly route all dangling electrical cords using approved cable management methods. Keep cords off the floor, away from walkways, and clear of equipment operating areas.

Submitted by: Damon Barton

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

A surge protector was observed directly beside a water dispenser, creating a potential electrical hazard because of its proximity to a water source. Accidental spills or leaks could cause electrical shock, short circuits, or fire.

I relocated the surge protector away from the water dispenser to eliminate potential water exposure. I ensured the electrical equipment is properly positioned and connected to an approved outlet.

Submitted by: Noah Postell

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

Flammable samples were in the flash tester. I removed the samples to a safe location.

Submitted by: Kandis Kier

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Excellence in Safety Practice/Procedure

Our lime bucket outside the lab was not properly labeled. I quickly corrected the issue.

Submitted by: Damon Barton

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

An air hose was observed lying across the steps, causing a potential tripping hazard. The air hose was removed from the walkway, and operators were coached on proper hose management and the importance of keeping walking paths clear and unobstructed.

Submitted by: James Walker

Location: Durham, NC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

Upon weekly QC collection, I observed the R100 stockpile had a near-vertical loading face, approx. 20- 25 ft tall. Customer trucks and City of Durham Water Department employees drive by this pile daily. A rough estimate of the travel distance to the stockpile is about 4-6 ft, based on tire tracks. The loader has no easy access to get on top and push the pile.

I bermed off the area around the face with the loader to prevent vehicles from being right under the wall of material. The stockpile is bermed off for now. The loader can't access the top to push it at the moment.

Submitted by: Jeff Roberts on behalf of Brad Wishert

Location: McConnells, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

Employee saw a broken piece of flex conduit coming from the junction box on C7. The conduit had been taped previously but was now broken and pulled away from the box. An electrician was on site at the time, and they repaired the conduit.

Submitted by: Jeff Roberts on behalf of Chris Satterfield

Location: McConnells, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

Employee noticed a broken conduit coming from a junction box by the 1560ST crusher. An electrician was on site at the time. The primary was shut down, and the conduit was repaired.

Submitted by: Megan Stroble

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

The light cover has come loose, exposing the electrical components to the elements in our lab. We placed the cover back into its place.

Submitted by: Damon Barton

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

An uneven roadway shoulder was observed adjacent to the newly poured concrete pavement. The exposed drop-off and loose gravel create a potential trip hazard for pedestrians and an unstable surface for vehicles traveling near the pavement edge.

Correction: Notify the responsible department or contractor to backfill, grade, and compact the shoulder to provide a smooth, stable transition between the concrete roadway and the adjacent gravel surface. Consider temporary barricades or warning markers until corrected.

Submitted by: Damon Barton

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: General Safety Concern

A damaged industrial fan was observed improperly stored in front of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) station, restricting employee access to important chemical safety information.

The correction: Remove the damaged fan from the area and relocate it to a designated equipment storage or repair location. Ensure the SDS station remains readily accessible to employees at all times. Reinforce expectations for proper housekeeping and equipment storage.

Submitted by: Damon Barton

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/SItuation

During a Management by Walking Around (MBWA) inspection, a rail tank car was observed without a hazardous materials placard displayed at the visible placard holder. This presents a potential regulatory compliance concern and may prevent proper identification of hazardous materials during transportation or emergency response.

The correction: Notify the rail operations supervisor and verify the railcar's contents, shipping documentation, and applicable DOT placarding requirements. If placarding is required, ensure the appropriate placard is installed before the railcar is released for transportation.

Submitted by: Damon Barton

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/SItuation

An unattended hose was observed lying across the floor in the maintenance work area, creating a potential trip hazard for employees walking through.

Removed the hose from the walking area and properly stored or secured it to eliminate the trip hazard. Reinforce good housekeeping practices with employees to ensure they properly manage hoses when not in use.

Submitted by: Damon Barton on behalf of Jared Thomas

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: General Safety Concern

A flammable cleaning product was stored inside a designated PPE storage cabinet alongside personal protective equipment and other supplies. Improper storage of flammable materials presents a potential fire hazard and may expose PPE to chemical contamination.

Correction: Remove the flammable cleaning product from the PPE cabinet and relocate it to an approved flammable-material storage location in accordance with the product's Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and site procedures. Reinforce proper chemical storage and PPE housekeeping expectations with employees.

Submitted by: Damon Barton

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: General Safety Concern

Excessive spiderwebs and dust accumulation were observed on and around electrical disconnect panels, indicating a need for improved housekeeping.

Correction: Notify the appropriate personnel to safely remove spiderwebs and accumulated debris from the exterior of the electrical panels. Include the area in routine housekeeping inspections to prevent recurrence.

Submitted by: Damon Barton

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Excellence in Safety Practice/Procedure

Employee observed demonstrating positive safety behavior by ensuring the scissor lift safety chain was properly attached and secured across the platform entrance while performing work at height.

Recognizing: Stephon Jones

Submitted by: Damon Barton

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

During a routine safety walk, I observed a parked vehicle without wheel chocks in place. Failure to properly chock vehicle wheels, where required, creates a potential rollaway hazard that could result in injury to personnel or damage to equipment and property.

The correction: Notify the vehicle operator of the unsafe condition and ensure wheel chocks are properly positioned against the tires in accordance with site safety procedures. Reinforce the importance of securing the vehicle to prevent unintended movement.

Submitted by: Damon Barton

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

During a safety inspection, we observed wheel chocks improperly positioned beneath the trailer tires. The chocks were not fully seated against the tires, which could reduce their effectiveness in preventing unintended trailer movement. We stopped work and corrected the issue.

Employees should be coached on proper wheel chock placement, ensuring the chocks are positioned firmly against the tires to prevent unintended trailer movement. Verify proper placement before loading or unloading activities begin.

Submitted by: David Perry

Location: Bunnlevel, NC

Situation: Excellence in Safety Practice/Procedure

Motor bases keep failing, and we used come-alongs to keep the motor tight to the base. Citations were issued at the last inspection. We made and installed a new-style motor base to eliminate the need for a come-along.

Submitted by: Chubby Horton

Location: Rocky Mount, NC

Situation: Excellence in Safety Practice/Procedure

Plant management saw that a contractor had failed to remove his lock from a disconnect after weekend maintenance work. Management called me to approve cutting the lock after they confirmed the employee was not on site. We will start using a lock removal form at all NC locations going forward.

Recognizing: Mike Hair

Submitted by: David Perry

Location: Bunnlevel, NC

Situation: Excellence in Safety Practice/Procedure

Having to tighten rockbox bolts daily due to rock hitting bottom of box on the inside. New cheek plates were designed to protect and take impact off bottom of box thus limiting exposure.

Submitted by: Johnny Aragon

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Unsafe Condition/Situation

A guide roller for a conveyor belt broke off one side and is hanging down. The lab tech reported it to the foreman, who shut down the belt and notified the repairman; the roller was removed after the belt was locked out.

Submitted by: Matt Vesce

Location: Salisbury, NC

Situation: Best Practice

During routine management inspections, we often found that housekeeping in Buck’s ball mill building was far better than at the other sites. Terry Wallace, maintenance lead, instituted a best management practice for mill building housekeeping that is being shared with the other sites.

Recognizing: Terry Wallace

Submitted by: Landon Coryell

Location: Harleyville, SC

Situation: Best Practice

The placard was faded; we replaced it, avoiding fines and saving the driver the hassle.