Issue 119 February 15, 2018

So, what’s going on in safety? Our Rescue Team has some new members: Jennifer Davis, Lee Olson and Steve Stone. Welcome to the team!!! Our Rescue Team is charged with confined space extractions if anyone needs help being removed from a tight space and they can provide first aid, CPR and additional medical aide. Our Rescue Team requires new members to work with the rest of the team for about a year to learn retrieval techniques using ropes, pullies, carabiners, tying special knots and other equipment before they are sent to the 50-hour ROCO training school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There they will receive additional training and become certified in high angle rescue. Last year they spent many hours learning different scenarios for res-cue including picking off, rescue from basements, stairs, high angles such as cranes and confined spaces such as the Cupola. Imagine trying to get someone down from the Cupola charge level 40 feet from the ground. They also practiced some skills above first aid including, taking care of eye injuries and taking blood pressure measurements. Next time you see one of our Rescue Team members, give them a special “thank you” for the support and dedication they bring to Tyler Pipe.

This year our Safety team has revised our Injury Reduction Plan (IRP) and has broken the plan down to each department. We have IRP meet-ings each year where safety and plant team members meet to discuss the number of injures, types of injuries, and body parts affected. The teams have worked numerous hours with hourly and salary team members to form safety tactics and strategies to reduce the number of injuries through statistical analysis. Did you know one out of four team members receive either first aid or other than first aid in 2017? That is way too many injuries and we can do better. We have gone 356 days in a row before without a lost time injury and we can do it again.

Here is our Division’s Injury Reduction Plan:

• Zero serious injuries

• No OSHA inspections resulting in fines

• Firm understanding of 2017 injury trends

• Form a committee of salary and hourly to write the plan

• Instill accountability at supervisor level, evaluation include completion of safety responsibilities

• Safety Audits/Inspections must be taken seriously

• Hazard recognition training for Supervisors/Managers

• Inclusion of hourly team members with any new safety initiatives

• Complete 1/3 of Machine Risk Assessments in 2018

• Actively work with corporate to meet time commit-ments for Silica reduction plans

In addition, below is our 2018 Injury Reduction Plan:

• Statistically reduce recordable injuries, DART and TRIR by 10% of 2015 rate

• 100% Safety Training Compliance

• 100% Mandatory Medical Compliance

• Continue to reduce levels of airborne gases in core room below Action Level

• 100% green on Annual Safety Audit

• Study plant pedestrian/forklift traffic in plant in three plant areas

• Enter Ergo Cup with a project, at least one project

• Spot check team members for proper wearing of double hearing protection

• Implement Departmental Injury Reduction Plans for 2017 injuries

• Develop and construct proper hoist system for iron removal from under PM Wheel pit

• Schedule Safety team to be in plant to help identify hazards and observe/correct unsafe behaviors

• Issue TRACK cards to supervisors for reminder how to evaluate the hazards of Non-Routine Tasks

L to R: L. Lott, L. Kimble, J. Lopez, T. Duncan, D. Folks, P. Tracy, L. Olson,

R. Tullis, A. Galaviz, C. Bevel, J. Davis, L. McHenry, C. Reynolds, G. Borunda,

R. Johnson, S. Stone & B. Kilpatrick Kneeling: T. Baeza & D. Teer

by Ted Sweetman

Issue 119 February 15, 2018

by Rod Burrus

After thirty years and some change, Jerry Reeves finally decided that he had better things

to do with his time, so he retired! Jerry started working for Tyler Pipe back in May of

1987. Now that particular month and year are known to me as that was the year I

graduated. It kind of puts things into perspective. Since 2005 Jerry has been taking

chunks of metal and making them into molds to create our products. It takes a steady

hand and a precise mind to perform that kind of work. They use CNCs, lathes, saws &

grinders to build our molds from the ground up. Jerry has worked for folks like Tommy

Hunter, Kevin Norris and most recently Pat Korkmas. When I asked Jerry about the

gentlemen that he worked for he said that the management was pretty good out here

now. Jerry said, “I know ole Sieben can kind of be cantankerous out in the plant but he

kind of leaves us alone in the fittings mold shop.” Jerry said that they came in, did their

job then headed to the house and no one really messed with them. He said that he liked

the atmosphere. When I asked him if he had any complaints about Tyler Pipe he thought

about it for a while and said, “Yes, I did have an issue with my job.” His face became a

little grim. He said, “when I was a pattern maker we didn’t have to be here until 7:00am

and over here in the mold shop they have us show up at 5:00am”. Jerry said, “that’s two

more hours I could have laid up in bed.” He did crack a smile then.

So, on Wednesday, January 24th Tyler Pipe asked Jucy’s Burger out of Longview to come

cook up some great tasting burgers and we celebrated the time Jerry worked with us, said

our farewells and wished him luck on his future endeavors. What does the future hold for

Jerry? No one knows for sure, however; Jerry said that he had three loves in his life.

Hunting, fishing and splitting wood. He has a lease out by Carthage that he goes to hunt

on. He said that he had always planned his vacations around the hunting seasons but

now that he was retired he could go when the mood hit him. Jerry said that his house sits

on 4 ½ acres so during the summer it keeps him busy mowing the lawn and cutting the

brush on the back half. Jerry has 3 sons and 5 grandkids total. They are all local, so he

has a chance to see them often. When I last spoke to Jerry he said that the previous day

his grandson came over and asked if he could watch his television because his mother

wouldn’t let him watch cartoons at her house. He went from a precision machinist to a

babysitter over-night.

At his retirement party, after the crowds were gone all the fellows that worked with Jerry

came over to say goodbye. If you are not familiar with the North Plant breakroom, we

have metal picnic tables in there. I believe that they were designed for four people but

when I walked up they had nine Team Members sitting at the table. Jerry has worked

here a number of years and he leaves behind all sorts of friends. When I asked Jerry if he

was going to miss the guys out here Jerry responded, “not really; they all know where I live

and stop by all of the time.” So, you fellows that know where Jerry lives make sure you

stop by and keep him company. Who knows, if you are nice he might take you over

Carthage way to go hunting. Congratulations on your retirement Jerry and thanks for

dedicating over thirty years of your life to Tyler Pipe.

Who’s the New Girl? Hey Tyler Pipe, please help me in welcoming Wendi Marin to the Human Resources Department. Most of you were introduced to her by Greg Simmons in his Information Exchange meetings. However, let me give you a little more information about her. Wendi comes to us from Athens, Texas and has worked as a Sr. HR Generalist for 11 years. Wendi has a broad background and has had years of experience not only in Human Resources but also Environmental functions in her last position. She actually graduated from Valparaiso University in Indiana with a Bachelor in Chemistry and found that her passion was in helping people while working in human resources. Our department was excited to find this gem. I have found her to be very helpful and knowledgeable, so if you are in the Human Resources department and see a new face, please make her feel welcome!

Issue 119 February 15, 2018

Topic Scheduled Due

Stormwater / Pollution Prevention Plant 1st Week of

January March 30

Resource Conservation / Recovery Act (Part 1 & 2)

1st Week of April June 30

Spill Prevention / Control & Counter- measures

1st Week of July September

30

General Environmental Awareness (Part 1, 2 & 3)

1st Week of October

November 30

2018 Environmental Computer Based Training Schedule

~ 15 ~

Cookie & Cupcake

Give-away

February March

~ 17 ~

Ice Cream Day

July

~ 19 ~

Bowling

~ 19 ~

Watermelon Day

June

September

~ 12 ~ Umbrella Give-away

~ 28 ~ Graduate Brunch

~ 10 ~

Awards Banquet

November

~ 8~

Christmas Party

December

Sno-Cone Day

Date to be determined

August

~ 25 ~

Halloween Candy

Bags

October

May April

20

18

Ev

en

t C

ale

nd

ar

~

9 ~ Sweetheart Give-away

~ 21 ~ Popcorn Day

Annual Family

Picnic

Date to be determined

The Event Committee works hard to show our valued Team Members how much we appreciate them. If you have ideas on other activities or prizes, we would love to hear your suggestions. If you have wondered about assisting with events, we always love volunteers. Just see one of the friendly event committee members or stop by HR for more information.

New for 2018 is the Cell Phone policy that came straight from the desk of Greg Simmons. In this day and age it seems that

whether we are working or enjoying our leisure time we have a mobile device in our hands. Utilizing this technology at

work can not only waste time but also can create a hazardous situation. We have all probably watched the video of the

young lady in the mall who walked into a fountain and while funny, it showcased a problem that has repercussions in our

industry. A study that I read stated that in 2010, over 1,500 individuals across the U.S. required emergency treatment after

being injured while using a cellphone and walking. Utilizing cell phones while driving is a national pandemic sending states,

cities and municipalities to create or enforce laws regarding cell phone usage while operating a vehicle. Why? Because cell

phone usage can distract you from other tasks and in an industry like ours, safety has to be our primary focus. Even taking

your attention off of your job for a moment to view a text or e-mail can open yourself up to a work related injury or an

injury to others.

The use of cell phone devices at work has also created another unforeseen issue, wasting time. A 2017 People Magazine

article quoted that 24% of workers admitted they spent at least an hour a day on personal e-mails, texts and personnel

calls. These numbers continue to increase as the millennial generation continues to permeate the work force. As stated in

Greg’s policy, “There will be absolutely no cell phone usage inside the plant or while operating equipment including mobile

devices. Team Members receive two breaks and lunch and they have that time to check their cell phones and take care of

any business that needs to be taken care of. There is no reason that a cell phone should be out of a Team Members pocket

with the exception of breaks or lunch.”

New policy for an old problem

Issue 119 February 15, 2018

by Rod Burrus

Chances are that if you have not had the flu this year you know someone who has. Almost nightly I hear on the Dallas news channels how this flu season which begins in October of last year and will stretch into May of this year is one of the worst in recorded history. The situation is further com-pounded regionally as East Texas and the Houston area have the highest incident rates of flu in the nation including Tyler, Longview, Lufkin and Nacogdoches according to an independent study con-ducted by Walgreens. Regionally the medication Tamiflu has been in short supply as providers try to lessen the symptoms if the viral illness for their patients. The situation is further compounded be-cause this year we are battling Type A flu as well as type B. Healthcare workers like my wife Angela have had patients that have suffered through one type or another only to find that a few weeks later

they begin to exhibit signs of the other virus.

There are several myths that I have learned after living with my spouse for over twenty five years that I would like to pass along as well as a few pointers and tips. The first myth is that if you take the flu shot that you are going to be immune to the virus. Influenza, or the flu virus is ever changing and pharmaceutical companies do not know going into the flu season which strain may be released so the flu shot is only about 10% effective towards building your immunity to the virus. While the CDC says the shot may not be as effective this year, it still highly recommends getting the vaccination especially for infants and the elderly. It may hedge your bets, and for most people that is good enough to line

up for the shot.

The second myth is that antibiotics will help fight the illness. While antibiotics help with infections in your body, the flu virus is a viral infection which means that antibiotics are useless in fighting the ill-ness. Some people may end up with pneumonia after contracting the flu which necessitates antibiot-ics but the recommended medical advise if you have the flu is bed rest and plenty of liquids. Tamiflu is the medication of choice but it does not fight the flu, it assists with the symptoms associated with the infection. Thank God I have not had the flu, but if I did, I would utilize the service that we have here at Tyler Pipe and I would call Teledoc and ask for Tamiflu and I would stay away from others until I have gone 24 hours without symptoms. The symptoms include coughing, fever, headaches

and muscle aches. More severe cases include vomiting, nausea and diarrhea.

While the flu season begins in October there is usually a spike just after Christmas because families get together in close proximity and pass the illness along. Which brings me to my final input on this subject. If you believe that you have the flu, monitor yourself and seek medical attention but don’t place yourself in an environment where you can infect others. Almost nightly I hear of school and universities closing because of the wide spread flu that has been hitting our area. Indeed, here at Tyler Pipe we have had departments where three to four people that work in close proximity have contracted the illness and passed it along to their co-workers. According to our policy, “Three (3) Day absences with proper call off will yield one point for each day unless Human Resources is provided with a doctor’s excuse before close of business on the 3rd consecutive day of absence. Failure to provide a doctor’s excuse will result in 3 points – (1) one for each day- being charged, provided there is proper call off each day. If a doctor’s excuse is provided, only one (1) point will be assessed for the entire occurrence.” Well that is my two cents on the flu virus. Just like the internet, this article is not meant to substitute for medical advice, it is just information passed along so you might become better informed and edu-cated on the subject. If you would like to learn more about the facts and figures on how Texas is working to battle the virus please go to http://www.easttexasmatters.com/news/local-news/flu-activity-rampant-in-east-texas/885840995

Chris Swaner ~ 2

David Oliver ~ 3

Wayne Bowles ~ 4

Kay Cox ~ 5

Jimmy Allen ~ 6

James Hugo ~ 6

Jorge Valdivia ~ 6

Joe Holzbauer ~ 11

Sidney Williams ~ 11

Dorothy Armstrong ~ 12

Chris Kuykendall ~ 13

Johnny Stevens ~ 13

Sterling Bowman ~ 14

Jerry Brown ~ 14

Penny Carman ~ 15

Brandon Yowell ~ 16

Juan Gonzalez ~ 19

Larry Steele.~ 20

Dangelo Jones ~ 21

David Martinez ~ 21

Bruce Wood ~ 21

Gabriel Borunda ~ 24

Zach Bukowski ~ 24

Mitchell Tuck ~ 25

Isidro Cardenas ~ 26

Curtis Cason ~ 26

Mathew Lewis ~ 31

Texas is hit hard by seasonal Flu

Human Resources has registration information for the FRESH 15 held on March 3rd as well as the Tyler Run for Autism on April 7. Both of these function raise hundreds of thousand of dollars for our community and we are lucky that Tyler Pipe pays for the registration fees for yourself and a guest. So if your New Year’s resolution was to drop a few pounds, or if you just like participating in our community activities then these are the events for you! Don’t run unless you are being chased? We have volunteer roles as well! Come by H.R. for details on how to sign up.