June 9, 2022
(press release)
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Safety is an inherent part of Kimberly-Clark’s caring value, and the company is proud to announce that its Flint and Coleshill manufacturing facilities in Wales have achieved more than 1 million hours without a single reportable injury. The facilities reached this safety milestone by engaging and empowering every employee across all levels to look out for each other and ensure everyone goes home the same way they arrived. "This achievement speaks to the caring culture and values that we have as a team and as a company," said Paul Curbishley, Flint’s site manager who is a 27-year veteran of Kimberly-Clark. "We are a family here and protect our teammates.” The Coleshill and Flint facilities are located at Kimberly-Clark’s site in Flint, Wales, which employs 220 people and has operated for more than two years without a reportable injury. Coleshill produces bath tissue, facial tissue, wipers and hand towels for Kimberly Clark Professional, the business-to-business division of the company, and the Flint facility makes Huggies® baby wipes for consumers. In addition, the site’s distribution center has operated for 18 years without a reportable injury. The company has continually enhanced its safety protocols and education to ensure that employees mitigate (when necessary) and eliminate risk while they’re at work. "We've invested a lot of time in the condition of the plant and in safety training," Curbishley explained. "It's all about turning that engagement into thoughtfulness and behavioral safety to make sure people make the right choices. It takes relentless discipline from everyone – at all times." A vital element is empowering team members to speak up about safety issues if they have concerns, he said. Recently, an experienced employee pointed out that a temporary procedural control to correct a machine issue might pose risks for a more junior-level employee. "He was concerned not for himself but for new colleagues who were less familiar with the equipment and might put themselves in harm's way," Curbishley said. "That is what makes the difference, and he became part of the solution.” Curbishley cares deeply about his people and wants the site to continue driving safety improvements. “It’s a very basic thing, but we can’t expect people to be at their best unless they feel safe,” he said. “It's about staying focused, taking care of each other, and always improving as we deliver Kimberly-Clark’s purpose of Better Care for a Better World."
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