Dragon's Concrete Division Passes Seven Year Mark Without a Lost-Time Injury

Record set equals more than 1.1 million work hours

The Concrete Division of Dragon Cement and Concrete has gone seven years – more than 1.1 million work hours – without a lost-time injury among the 80 employees who work in the division.

The new safety record marks the ninth time in 10 years that the division, which operates 10 concrete plants statewide, has been recognized for safety achievements.

“To go more than one million hours over seven years without a lost-time injury is a remarkable achievement when you consider that our mixer drivers and other employees are tested each day in the areas of safety,” said Dave Grinnell, vice president and head of the Concrete Division. “Our goal is to have employees go home as healthy as when they came to work, and our Concrete Division is doing just that. It’s a testament to the dedication of those employees, who have clearly been the leaders here.”

The Concrete Division of Dragon Products delivers ready-mix concrete to construction projects throughout the state. Maine’s largest ready-mix concrete supplier, the company operates concrete plants in Biddeford, Westbrook, Portland, Lewiston, Brunswick, Augusta, Canton, Fairfield, Madawaska and Presque Isle.

Dragon recently held recognition dinners in Lewiston and St. Agatha. Each Concrete Division employee received an L.L. Bean barn coat embroidered with the Dragon logo.

Dragon initiated a safety program in 2000 that includes a number of incentives and rewards for safety. For example, when employees in each division go a full quarter without a lost-time injury, all employees in that division receive a gift certificate safety reward. In addition, employees fill out forms to report unsafe practices, so the situation can be corrected to prevent mishaps. Each quarter the employees go without a lost-time injury, the higher the amount of the gift certificates.

Headquartered in Portland, Dragon employs more than 225 full-time employees statewide. In addition to its Concrete Division, Dragon operates the only cement plant in New England in Thomaston. The cement is supplied to most ready-mix companies in the state, and others throughout New England by barge through Coastal Cement terminals in Newington, N.H. and Boston. For additional information, visit the company's web site at www.dragonproducts.com.
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