Safety First at Wyoming Lime Producers

A lot has changed in 5.5 years. In 2020, the world was in the early stages of a global pandemic and encouraged to social distance and restrict travel; the United States of America was preparing for a presidential election; and Artificial Intelligence was entering a new era of rapid advancement and investment.  

While 2020 may seem like a distant memory, it marked the beginning of an important milestone for the team at Wyoming Lime Producers (WLP), one that continues today. 

With a total of 16 employees, the WLP team has an ongoing safety milestone of 2,098 days without a lost-time accident—the equivalent of over 5.5 years. A clear demonstration of the team's dedication to supporting each other and prioritizing safety every day. 

Since its inception in 1993, WLP has purchased limestone from a nearby quarry managed by Montana Limestone Company. Lime produced at Wyoming Lime Producers is a vital ingredient in removing sulfur dioxide from emissions at Basin Electric’s coal-fired power plants. 

Pete Lien & Sons, which operates WLP for Dakota Coal Company, employs Tucker Green, the site manager at WLP. According to Green, this ongoing safety milestone is due to WLP employees who care and are willing to use the safety tools and training provided, as well as leadership’s focus on safety. 

“Pete Lein & Sons and Basin Electric align very well on creating and maintaining a safety culture,” Green says. “It’s easier to manage and operate WLP when the message from management comes across loud and clear—we will work safely, anything less is unacceptable.”  

WLP has seen the biggest improvement from three initiatives.  

1. Slow down to be productive – by taking extra time to perform an extra check, going back to get the right tool, and not taking shortcuts, etc., the team is more productive. If employees are rushing and an accident occurs, all productivity is lost. 
2. Four-second rule – Simply stopping to assess a situation for four seconds before proceeding to ensure employees are not overlooking safety issues.    
3. Near misses – being transparent and sharing information across the whole company are the most valuable tools. 

When asked who deserved the recognition for this safety milestone, Green responded, “First and foremost, the people who come here every day and make the choice to work safely. Upper management should also be recognized for putting their money where their mouth is. Safety is a big investment, and if you look around the country, not everyone is willing to take that extra step. It just so happens that I have two bosses who expect nothing less.” 

Take a look at what WLP employees have to say about safety: 

“We have weekly safety meetings together discussing a specific topic. Feedback is given at this time, and examples of how it may apply to WLP are shared. This is really educational for me, as I am not out and about the plant on a regular basis.  It gives me a feel for what the rest of the team does.” – Tammy Jones, Quality Control Lab Technician 

“I feel that the safety training we do at WLP helps prevent accidents daily by reminding us to stay vigilant and keep a watchful eye out for hazards in the workplace.” – Matt Myrick, Control Room Operator 

“The biggest safety habit for me is sounding your horn - 3 times for backing, 2 times for going forward, 1 time at start up. Heck, I even do it at the grocery store or Walmart at times, everyone looks at me like I’m crazy or something…LOL, so I just wave!” – Cherie Wambeke, Administrator 

“Leadership supports safety by giving us all the safety tools, knowledge, and time we need to do every job safely. We as a team have built a safety culture that we strive to live by, and we are continuously improving upon every day.” – Jonathan Zeller, Journeyman Electrician 

While this safety milestone doesn’t surpass WLP’s current safety record of 3,545 days (set from 2009 to 2015). The team is making strong progress towards matching or breaking it. 

“We all have people who count on us, and we come here to work safely and take care of each other,” Green says.  “If I have not created an environment at WLP where employees expect to come and work safely every day, then I have failed them as well as the people who care about them.”