Nixon Gangoo, BLEACHTECH’s chief health, safety, security, and environment officer, is a guest contributor for the ANSA McAL Group of Companies.
One fundamental must never be compromised as industry develops further: the security and welfare of those who drive advancement.
Businesses face a turning point in Ohio’s quickly expanding manufacturing sector as well as in the global industrial scene. It’s not only about scaling up or moving more quickly. It’s the responsible way to do it.
Safety is not viewed as a departmental or legal obligation within the ANSA McAL Group. It is ingrained in all we do and is a strategic priority.
Our group, which has 30 active enterprises in 11 countries and economic sectors, has discovered that safety and operational excellence are closely related and not mutually exclusive.
Integrating safety into daily activities
Workplace safety results have clearly and consistently improved throughout the ANSA McAL Group, which is a result of deliberate leadership, a shift in culture, and unwavering attention.
This development is not the product of a single initiative or instance. It is the result of a thorough, corporate-wide dedication to prioritizing people.
This evolution is largely due to initiatives like our Safe System of Work (SSOW) training and the Lead Safe-Achieve Safety Excellence program.
With the use of an extensive Safety Management System (SMS) that comprises 11 Life-Saving Rules and 14 Safety Standards, we evaluate and strengthen performance through frequent digital tracking, on-site audits, and ongoing employee participation.
From conformity to culture
The change has been most noticeable at BLEACHTECH, which ANSA McAL purchased in late 2024.
We began putting strong processes in place right away, such as monthly emergency drills, active safety committees, Toolbox Talks, and a methodical permit-to-work procedure.
The outcomes speak for themselves in terms of culture, behaviors, morale, and consistency in addition to measurements.
Safety is now a daily practice that is embraced at all team levels, not just a checkbox.
In order to guarantee that our locations are not only ready, but also proactive in their approach to security and readiness, we also collaborate closely with regional emergency response organizations, like our friends at the Seville-Guilford Fire Department in Medina County.
An expanded obligation
Safety at ANSA McAL extends beyond the manufacturing floor. It influences the way we work, speak, and lead. It’s a multidisciplinary endeavor that goes beyond health and safety departments.
Our safety-first mentality is mirrored in every message we send and every promise we make thanks to colleagues like Sarah Inglefield, who oversees our marketing and external communications.
Her work reaffirms a straightforward yet potent idea: safety is a promise rather than just a norm. a commitment to make better decisions every day in order to support the prosperity of our industry, communities, and people.
We may strengthen responsibility, foster trust, and make sure that our beliefs are evident both internally and externally by coordinating our words and actions.
A request for action
We present this to our industry peers as a challenge rather than a victory lap. Establishing spaces where people feel respected, safe, and empowered is a sign of true leadership.
Manufacturing in Ohio and around the world must be safe by design, not by default, if it is to survive in the future.
At ANSA McAL, we are demonstrating that safety is the cornerstone of progress rather than its hindrance.
And since nothing we create is more significant than the lives it touches, we think that by working together, our industry can succeed by prioritizing people.
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