At Asphalt Materials, doing the right thing is engrained in every aspect of our culture. So, when it comes to safety, our team understands it’s not only a priority but the non-negotiable foundation of our success.
As we gear up for the upcoming season, our dedication to ensuring a safe and healthy work environment is stronger than ever. We implement several protocols in our daily operations, but we’re also no strangers to improving systems even further. Take a look at some of our tried-and-true methods, as well as upcoming initiatives at AMI.
Adhering to AMI’s 7 Cardinal Rules
Our 7 cardinal rules of safety not only comply with OSHA but serve as the foundation of our safety culture and detail our key protocols. These rules are designed to protect our employees and secure a safe working environment:
- Confined Space Entry (CSE)
- We follow OSHA’s stringent measures in place for safely entering and working in enclosed spaces to protect our employees from potential hazards.
- Fall Protection
- Our team members must use proper fall protection gear when exposed to a fall hazard of four feet or more.
- Electrical Safety
- Only appropriately trained and qualified personnel are permitted to work on electrical equipment.
- Hazardous Energy (Lock out/Tag Out)
- This critical safety procedure ensures that machinery is properly shut off and unable to start up again before maintenance or repair work is completed, reducing the risk of accidents and offering clear visual warnings.
- Hot Work/Line Breaking
- Proper training must be completed for our team to perform any hot work or line breaking while following our established procedures.
- Machine Guarding & Interlocks
- Appropriate machine guarding and safety interlocks are applied to prevent potential injury while operating machinery.
- Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) Monitors
- When entering process areas, every member of our team wears or is accompanied by an individual wearing a H2S monitor to detect toxic gas.
Our 2025 Year in Safety
This year, we are excited to ramp up safety initiatives even more to ensure a secure and healthy environment for all employees. We’ve introduced comprehensive training programs and safety indicators that focus on proper reporting, safe work practices, identifying risks, and stopping work when a hazardous situation is observed.
We have identified and are putting in place key processes to help our team stay vigilant and informed when new or changed situations are presented. Here are just a few at the top of our list:
- Management of Change (MOC) Processes
- Our MOC processes help manage changes in operations, such as bringing in new materials or implementing new equipment or processes, ensuring that any modifications do not compromise safety.
- Black Flag Process
- “Throwing a Black Flag” is used to identify and address high-risk situations promptly. The process enables our team to stop work immediately when a threat is observed in order to properly establish an appropriate safe path forward.
- Behavior-Based Safety (BBS)
- Behavior-based safety is a proactive approach to improving safety by focusing on employee behaviors. Rather than relying on the assessment of past performance, we encourage our team to be observant of behaviors that may indicate a future safety hazard.
Asphalt Materials Safety Summit
Every year during the quieter months, we also host a multi-day Safety Summit dedicated to reinforcing our safety protocols and preparing our team for the busy season. This annual event brings together our safety team and employees to share best practices, discuss new safety measures, and reinforce our commitment to a safe workplace.
At AMI, we continuously strive to improve our safety protocols and create a secure working environment for all employees. “Safety remains a top priority for AMI because no amount of production is worth having our employees being injured,” says Steve Clonce, AMI’s Director of Safety. “We all deserve to go home safely every day.” By prioritizing safety, we not only protect our team but also enhance our operational efficiency and productivity.
