2022 Poka Yoke Challenge Winners!
One hundred and fifty poka yokes were submitted and our winners are…
This quarter, we challenged employees for the second year in a row to be safety superheroes by looking for, reporting and offering solutions to potential hazards within their division – then, putting that Safety improvement and risk reduction effort (aka poka yoke) into action by implementing the solution.
One hundred and fifty (150) poka yokes were submitted between January 1 and November 18. With so many entries, it was difficult to narrow down the submissions. After careful consideration in the two judging categories, innovation and impact, our winners are:
Most Impactful Poka Yokes
- FIRST PLACE: Olympic Steel – Gary, IN
- Robert Ashley, Maintenance Manager
- Safety Alarm on Crane
- SECOND PLACE: Integrity Stainless – Streetsboro, OH
- James Carr, Operator
- Ryan Mills, Operator
- Josh Leas, Maintenance Supervisor
- Randy DiBacco, Maintenance Tech
- Overarm Controls
- Honorable Mention: Olympic Steel – Bettendorf, IA
- Dan Parmentier, Crane Operator
- Brandon Knorrek, Maintenance Tech
- Rack Stabilization
- Honorable Mention: Olympic Steel – Streetsboro, OH
- Jaritt Louthan, Edger Operator
- Josh Leas, Maintenance Supervisor
- Randy DiBacco, Maintenance Tech
- Skiver Clear Guard
Most Innovative Poka Yokes
- FIRST PLACE: Olympic Steel – Bettendorf, IA
- Mark Callan, Maintenance Manager
- Bruce Hull, Maintenance Tech
- Noah Nevinger, Maintenance Tech
- Hydraulic Toe Kick
- SECOND PLACE: Olympic Steel – Bettendorf, IA
- Tim Hughes, Press Brake Operator
- Shim Identification
- Honorable Mention: Integrity Stainless – Latrobe, PA
- Chris Stewart, Slitter Operator
- Camera Monitor
- Honorable Mention: Olympic Steel – Streetsboro, OH
- Mark Taylor, Slitter Operator
- Josh Leas, Maintenance Supervisor
- Overarm Block
Thanks to All Participants
This challenge encouraged everyone to create smart, safe solutions to identified risks, and it absolutely managed to do that. In 2022, we increased our poka yoke submissions by 54%, when compared to the total number of poka yokes submitted in 2021. Thank you to everyone who shared their safety improvement and risk reduction ideas this year – your efforts are helping others put Safety First. Always.
Questions?
For questions about this challenge, poka yokes or how to implement process improvement ideas, please reach out to your local Safety Representative or Tony Dominic, Director – Safety, Health and Environment, at Tony.Dominic@olysteel.com.
Safety First. Always. And, it starts with me.
