Menu

ASSE announces safety innovation award winners

Winners include Machine Safety Management Corporation, Barricade Buddy and Capital Construction Solutions.


The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) today presented Jack Reiter, president and CEO of Machine Safety Management Corporation, with the 2015 Award for Innovation in Occupational Safety Management.

Reiter invented Machine Safety Management (MSM) Software, which helps businesses and schools conduct, store and manage machine safety audits, risk assessments and machine information.

Sponsored by Cintas Corporation, the award was presented along with a $3,000 cash prize and a plaque at Safety 2015, ASSE’s annual professional development conference.

“While the five honorable mentions also presented outstanding ideas that are making a difference for workplace safety, the judging panel was especially intrigued by MSM Software because of its potential to reduce injuries,” said ASSE President Trish Ennis, CSP, ARM. “Injuries related to machinery are all too common but can be prevented. By helping streamline safety processes, this new technology can be applied within a wide variety of industries to improve the safety and lives of many workers.”

In 2014, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recorded 2,701 violations related to machine guarding, making it one of the 10 most frequently cited violations. Machine guarding has been a consistent fixture on OSHA’s list for the past decade. If hazards around machines are not eliminated or controlled, employees can easily be injured or killed.

MSM Software is a comprehensive solution that changes the way organizations handle machine safety. The software documents due diligence, risk assessments and information for each machine to provide safety managers with an accurate, highly detailed view of their entire organization’s machine safety compliance. By transitioning machine data to a digital format, it also allows managers to more easily and quickly access important materials.

“Machine safety is an ongoing issue for many workplaces so we’re seeing a lot of interest in MSM Software. It’s currently helping customers from schools to Fortune 500 companies improve machine safety, limit accidents and reduce citations and fines,” said Reiter.

The honorable mentions for the award include:

  • Randy Brown, President, KemKey LLC, Edgewood, N.M. for KemKey Safety Couplings, which use different shapes, colors and markings to reduce the opportunity for chemical cross-contamination during transfers.
  • Grant C. Chustz, Crane Operator Supervisor, Jacobs, Torbert, La. for Barricade Buddy, which provides added protection for craftsman working in close proximity to cranes, riggers working directly with cranes and crane operators.
  • Cory M. Davis, CEO, Capital Construction Solutions, LLC, Chicago, Ill. for its mobile safety application, which is used by contractors, owners, construction managers, program managers and facility managers to review a list of best practice safety questions depending on the work being performed and rectify issues that are identified.
  • Sally L. Koch, Former EHS Manager-Leatherman Tool Group, Independent Safety Management, Portland, Ore. for 5 Star Safety at Leatherman Tool – “Letting Your Inner Superhero Out.” The safety management and improvement program sets expectations and challenges all employees, from frontline workers to senior management, to become world-class safety performers by letting their own safety superhero shine.
  • Anthony M. Krake, Environmental, Safety & Quality Manager, Alpine Painting & Sandblasting Contractors, Paterson, N.J. for its Digital Management System for Small Business. The affordable system uses iPads, a software application and a cloud-based storage system to store data files, allowing instantaneous collaboration between offices and field crews. It has improved document management, Alpine’s safety culture and compliance with safety standards.

“Over the last two years, we’ve seen this award program attract inspiring submissions from around the world,” said Jamie Samide, Senior Director of Marketing, Cintas Corporation. “MSM Software represents a generational leap in managing machine safety and one that can help many workplaces reduce machine-related injuries and comply with applicable standards and regulations.”

Learm more at www.cintas.com

Founded in 1911, the Park Ridge, Illinois-based ASSE is the oldest professional safety organization and is committed to protecting people, property and the environment. Its more than 37,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members lead, manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, transportation and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor, health care and education. For more information please go to www.asse.org.

SPONSORED ADS