One of three advanced manufacturing plants at Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC’s (Bendix) Acuña, Mexico campus was recently certified as a safe and healthy work environment by the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) .
Plant 3 certification recognizes the facility’s support of the health, safety and well-being of its employees. The Acuña campus, which also includes a logistics center, is also celebrating another safety achievement: in July, the operation reached the milestone of 365 days without a recordable injury. Since then, the campus has remained injury-free.
Among the preventative and corrective safety activities integrated at Acuña are weekly safety audits and the Emergency Work Order (EWO) program. All employees can institute an EWO, the highest priority work order, to identify any unsafe conditions, according to Bendix. EWOs are part of Bendix’s desire to encourage employees to report unsafe conditions and behaviors – as well as safe behaviors. Employees are also invited to submit ideas (Quick Kaizens) to improve security.
“We are proud of these two achievements and how they reflect the culture of well-being and safety we have built at Acuña,” said Jacqueline Perez, Bendix General Manager, Mexico Operations. “This culture starts with Bendix leadership, which truly values and invests in employees, and continues through our team members, who strive to bring their best to work every day.
IMSS launched the Safe and Healthy Work Environments Program (ELSSA) in May 2022. Mexican companies voluntarily join this national program, designed to protect employee health by helping prevent workplace accidents, as well as diseases such as diabetes, obesity and hypertension. ELSSA evaluates participating employers throughout the program and institutes a rigorous certification process.
The ELSSA platform identifies lines of action as part of its strategy and provides employers with support material. Lines of action include implementing machine protection devices to ensure the safety of machine operators and other employees; consider ergonomic factors, such as noise and light levels; prevent work-related illnesses; and reduce psychosocial risks, such as stress.
“This is a program in which companies voluntarily implement health strategies and actions to help improve the safety and well-being of employees,” said Saidi Zorrilla, head of safety and health at Bendix Acuña. “The objective is to transform the work environment by offering training activities and employing preventive strategies. »
Plant 3 joined the ELSSA program in June 2022 and has been working toward certification, which requires a compliance score above 90%. The certification, obtained by the facility in September 2023, is valid for one year, after which another audit will take place to verify that the facility continues to implement the program.
“As part of ELSSA, we created a quarterly wellness campaign,” Zorilla said. “We focus on a different health topic each quarter, from diabetes to hypertension to cancer. Doctors and nurses, fully resourced, are on-site at the Acuña facility for a one-day effort spanning both teams so services are available to all team members.
