DFT Achieves Safety Excellence: 365 Days and Still Counting!

Article written by JP Hanson, a Research Specialist from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.

When it comes to manufacturing, safety is critical to DFT’s employees, and the company as a whole. DFT has a Safety Program in place that is overseen by company Vice President Arie Bregman and has an eight-person safety committee headed by Dennis Petrucci and Vinnie Corsi.

In 2020, DFT achieved a record of 365 days without an OSHA recordable accident. Without the frontline leadership of Dennis Petrucci and Vinnie Corsi, the goal would have been a mere target in the distance. Petrucci and Corsi have professional and academic backgrounds in safety practices, specializing in the manufacturing industry. Their knowledge and experience aided in reimagining DFT’s safety focus and implementing the programs that accomplished this achievement.

With immense pride in his team, General Manager Arie Bregman states, “While we can reassure and educate in the workplace, we trust that our people take home what we teach and ultimately engrain these aspects into everyday habits.”

Whether on the production floor or at home, integrating safety into the whole team’s daily routine is essential. For example, DFT invests in fire extinguisher training for its employees, which benefits their awareness on and off the clock. “Each person that walks through the door is reminded of their family, and how happy they would be to see them pull in the driveway for dinner” said Arie Bregman.

Building on this progressive approach to accident prevention, safety leaders are directly encouraged to leverage non-workplace exposures in their training sessions, thereby better cultivating an atmosphere of hazard avoidance. For example, Mr. Bregman enjoys working on automobiles and ties his safety tricks and tips within their meeting content to allow some room for risk management parallels outside of work. These parallels remind employees that their supervisors are practicing what they preach, both inside and outside the walls of DFT.

DFT has a lot to be proud of: Their customers are exceptional. Their products and services are world-renowned. Their team is cohesive, focused, and committed. And their latest safety accomplishment of 365 days without an OSHA recordable accident is an ideal result, and something for their competition to aspire to.

As of the date of this article, the DFT Safety Scoreboard is still adding days to the full year of safety excellence.