As of Oct. 20, 2002, Lafarge North America's Whitehall, Pa. plant has operated for three years without a lost-time accident, representing more than 1,000 days and 750,000 work hours. During that time, the plant produced 2.5 million tons of cement, enough to construct a two-lane concrete highway from the plant halfway across the country to the Mississippi River.

“No measure of productivity is more important than plant safety,” said Plant Manager Dave Dziubinski. “We're committed to providing an environment and a mindset that stress employee safety — from daily work practices to emergency procedures.” Newly appointed Human Resources Manager Rose McKinney added, “Employees are very serious about the safety programs, and this record is a joint effort of labor and management.”

Regular plant-wide safety luncheons reinforce the mindset that has paved the way to the plant's latest three-year-long success. At a special recognition lunch in late October 2002, Dziubinski and Doug Lilly, president of Local 10029 of the United Paperworkers Union, accepted a plaque from Klaus Martin Meier, vice president of manufacturing for Lafarge North America and former manager of the Whitehall plant.

The Whitehall staff is well practiced at attaining safety milestones. In 1996, the plant reached six years without a lost-time accident and since then has put together a two-year stint, in addition to its current run.

In addition to its safety record, the Whitehall plant is well known for its work with alternative fuels. Building on it the overwhelming success of the operation's tire-derived fuel program, the plant is looking into burning nonrecyclable plastic. The plan is designed to eliminate 10,000 tons annually of locally generated plastic currently being sent to landfills.

Like the TDF program, burning nonrecyclable plastic is expected to produce lower plant emissions. Preliminary laboratory-scale testing shows that the plastic burns in a manner similar to coal. A trial burn of these plastics is being planned for the spring 2003, during which air emissions will be tested by an independent third-party contractor and compared with baseline emissions obtained during July 2002 testing.

If the proposal is accepted by both the community and state regulatory agencies, plastic will be obtained from a local recycler, shredded off site, and transported by truck to the plant.