December 1, 2013

Volume 7, Issue 12

Modernicas Most Outstanding Employees

Now that the years end approaches, it is a good time to announce our new employee award. This award was made to recognize employees who exemplify three crucial traits: good attendance, safety, and behavior. The employees who meet the criteria specified below will be entered in a raffle for a chance to win 2 shell chairs. The most important qualifier for this award is good attendance. That means having no late arrivals and no more than 5 unexcused absences. Getting stuck in traffic, missing the bus, and sleeping through your alarmall of these reasons easily disqualify you from the award. The next filter is safety. Among those with good attendance, only people who have had no accidents in the past year are selected for the award. Employee safety is paramount at Modernica.

Finally, the remaining employees are filtered by behavior. Anyone who has had write-ups in the past year is disqualified. Four employees distinguished themselves with perfect attendance (no lates and no unexcused absences) and will be entered twice in the raffle. The rest of the nominies had no less than 5 unexcused absences: Jonathan Gomez Juan A Rodrieguez Rolando Diaz Santiago Lopez Andre Van Groeningen Eduardo Alfonso Eduardo Diaz Eduardo Lopez Freddy Solis Ignacio Mondragon Luis Gomez Pedro Paredes

M odern T imes M onthly

Holiday Schedule
The factory will be closed on the following days. PTO forms will need to be submitted to receive pay for non-holiday closures. Thanksgiving Christmas New Years Nov 28-29 Dec 25-27 Jan 1

2013 Pumpkin Carving Contest Winners

There were 6 entries on Halloween for the pumpkin carving contest. The judging panel chose Edwin, Jane, and Sergios pumpkins for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. Go to the Modern Times Facebook to see more pictures of all the pumpkins.

Editor: Tony Tran Contributor: Nohemi Castro Advisor: Richard Tuttelmondo

anniversaries
Preston Schmidt Ruben Cota Andres Villareal 1 year 2 years 4 years Dec 02 Dec 03 Dec 05 Dec 06 Dec 08 Dec 14 Dec 20

birthdays
Serjik Kesheshian Lakeith Wilson Lennys Arias Villegas Nicolas Morales Idivar Melgar Francisco Romero Pedro Reyes Alvarez

Safety Review: Forklift Loads

There are numerous safety procedures that need to be followed when using forklifts. Some of them are so simple that workers are often tempted to skip them. However, doing so can lead to bodily harm, as a recent accident in Ohio illustrates. A forklift driver was transporting several propane tanks, but one of them fell off as he went into a driveway. Because they had not been secured or tightened, going up the slight slope made them fall. Even worse, the driver did not stop and managed to run over the propane tank, causing it to explode.

These are some guidlines for loading forklifts: Check to see that the load is stable and centered. Tie or stack the load to secure it. Use the right lift fixture for the right kind of load. Ex: carpet spike, drum grappler, etc. Spread the forks as wide as possible for balance and weight distribution. Make sure the load does not exceed the forklifts weight capacity.

The driver survived, but had been sent to a hospital for burns to his face and hands. If he had taken proper precautions with his load, it would not have fallen off and he would have avoided the burns. Avoid making the same mistake by never skipping safety protocols. Even though they take time, even though they can be a hassle, they are there for good reason.

Save a trip to the hospital as well as $200: ambulance rides and hospital check-in cost $100 each.

Dont Mix Drinking and Driving

As the holiday season approaches, it is customary for many people to relax and celebrate with alcohol. While most people would believe themselves to be responsible drinkers, there is one issue that blurs the line between responsible and irresponsible use: drinking and driving. Last week, a 20-year-old woman tweeted 2 drunk 2 care just hours before causing a car crash that resulted in two deaths. She was driving into oncoming traffic on a Florida highway when she crashed straight into another car. Although she survived, the two people in the other car did not: one died in the impact and the other one died after being sent to a hospital.

The total cost of being caught for driving under the influence is $10,000.

In 2012, 10,322 people died in drunk driving crashes.

Drinking can easily lead to accidents like this. One of the first things alcohol does is lower inhibitions, which makes people less concerned about drinking and driving. Once in the car, drunk drivers are ill-prepared to handle suprises on the road. Their vision is impaired, their reflexes are slowed, and they have poor control of their muscles. If they are about to collide, they will hesitate too long before stepping on the brakes or steering out of the way. Although it is inconvenient to restrain yourself from using your car after drinking, the consquences of not doing so can be severe. An easy solution is to have a designated driver, or failing that, call a taxi.

In 2011, 226 children were killed in drunk driving crashes. Of those, 122 (54% percent) were riding with the drunk driver.