Page 16 - 2019 Sustainability Report

‘A GREAT BENEFIT’

COMPANYWIDE SAFETY MENTOR PROGRAM

STRENGTHENS OUR SAFETY CULTURE

He was new to the industry and had been on the job “A significant percentage of our reportable incidents in
for just three months, but sitting in his truck and listening the past few years have involved employees with fewer
as a contractor put on the pressure to do something than two years of service,” said Vice President of Safety
unsafe, Ready Mix Driver Richard Adame remained calm. and Health Michael Hunt. “Recognizing this concerning
He’d been given the tools to succeed. trend, the World Class Task Force’s Safety Team identified
the need for a uniform, structured Safety Mentor Program
“He wanted me to back into a spot with a sharp decline,
but it was just too tight,” Adame said, recounting a pivotal across the enterprise.”
moment in his Martin Marietta career. “He kept pushing, Jim Reithel, Magnesia Specialties vice president of
telling me that it was the quickest way to do the job. I took operations and the Safety Team’s leader, says the team
a breath, then calmly explained that backing into the spot and others aimed to create a comprehensive and effective
wouldn’t be safe for me, his crew or my truck.” Safety Mentor Program by eliminating the relatively minor
Adame got out of the vehicle, took a few moments to differences that exist in the divisions’ current mentoring
analyze the jobsite and then presented the contractor procedures.
with another idea. Des Moines District Production Manager Ryan Bender,
a Safety Team member, said the companywide program
will incorporate mentor training practices from multiple
“In that moment, I realized that I could take divisions, and that much of the program’s success will be
everything my safety mentor (Chris Hill) had based on the mentors themselves.
taught me and put it into action.”
Hill said his experiences as a safety mentor since joining
“He heard me out,” Adame said. “The work took a bit the company in 2016 have been excellent and he’s excited
longer, but we got it done in a safe way. In that moment, to see what may come once a standardized program is
I realized that I could take everything my safety mentor put in place.
(Chris Hill) had taught me and put it into action.” “I’m confident this program will be a great benefit,”
In an incredibly difficult situation, Adame’s confidence he said.
came from his thorough training. He and Hill had spent Division leaders will train mentors and fully adopt the
countless hours going over the key points of his new program in 2020, said Hunt. By the year’s end, all divisions
position — from the company’s safety standards, to the will be expected to incorporate the Safety Mentor Program
equipment and its operation, to the many attitudes he into their operations.
may encounter on the job.
While such lessons are common for all employees
regardless of their geography, responsibility or business line, “I’m confident this program will be
the way they’ve been taught has varied at Martin Marietta. a great benefit.”
In 2020, that will change.

Chris Hill (left), a mentor at Highway 85 Ready Mix
in Colorado, works with mentee Richard Adame.

This logo will be included in all Safety Mentor
Program materials.

16 / MARTIN MARIETTA / SUSTAINABILITY REPORT / 2019