Can a plant receive both an Excellence Award and an Improvement Award? If a plant has a death in the plant, should they still report? Does a plant need to submit data every year? What happens when my plant changes classification from the year previous? How should "contract workers" be accounted for in the report?
The Safety Health Improvement Program began in 1981, when the RMA Occupational Safety and Health Committee requested that RMA staff conduct a special survey. The intent of the survey was to gather OSHA related injury and illness data from the Association's member companies. As envisioned, this program would provide the injury and illness rates of member companies to RMA for aggregate comparison to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' annual bulletin's rubber industry rates. Due to the positive response by member companies to this initial survey, the RMA Occupational Safety and Health Committee recommended instituting the survey on an annual basis. With the approval and strong support of RMA's Board of Directors, this program was made an annual feature of RMA's safety and health program. Each year a summary report featuring the results of both RMA member data and government data is provided. Additionally, separate more in-depth aggregated incidence rate reports are also published for each of the rubber groups tracked.
How do members submit data? (top)RMA member companies receive a letter alerting them that the survey form for submission to RMA is available on the RMA member website. In years past, members submitted their data to RMA via fax and now submission is electronic through the RMA website. The survey forms request injury and illness figures for the year. To ensure compatibility between the RMA incidence rates and those released by BLS, the survey form provided by the RMA contains the same data as the OSHA 300A log.
How will I know that RMA received my data? (top)A receipt will be sent to the address in which the submission form was sent. This receipt is the submitter's confirmation that RMA has their data in its system. If you do not receive a confirmation form, we have not received your data.
What is the Mission/Purpose of the SHIP Program? (top)To reduce injuries and illnesses to RMA member company employees which will be accomplished through sharing incidence data and benchmarking. Recognition is celebrated through Improvement and Excellence Awards distributed at the RMA Annual Meeting.
Who is eligible? (top)All full and associate members are eligible to participate. Only data from those member facilities that manufacture rubber products in the US are eligible. Sales offices, warehouses, and non-rubber manufacturing facilities are not eligible.
Data is separated into the following RMA sectors: Tire, Elastomer Products, Suppliers, and Internal suppliers.
What are the categories used to compile the information? (top)In the compilation of injury and illness incidence rates, data is grouped according to the government's Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and NAICS system. The 2005 report was the final year that participating plants submitted data by SIC. For reporting year 2004, OSHA has given industries the option of reporting either by SIC or the new NAICS system. In 2005, all reporting is in NAICS. Below is a list of NAICS and former SICs that are matched:
| NAICS | Industry Group | |
| 326211 (Formerly SIC 3011) | Tire and Tubes | |
| 316211 (Formerly SIC 3021) | Rubber and Plastics Footwear | |
| N/A (Formerly SIC 3031) | Reclaimed Rubber | |
| 326220 (Formerly SIC 3052) | Rubber and Plastics Hose and Belting (prior to 1987 see SIC 3041) | |
| 339991 (Formerly SIC 3053) | Gaskets, Packing and Sealing Devices (prior to 1987 see SIC 3293) | |
| 326291 (Formerly SIC 3061) | Molded, Extruded and Lathe Cut Rubber Mechanical Goods (prior to 1987 included in SIC 3069) | |
| 326299 (Formerly SIC 3069) | Fabricated Rubber Products, Not Elsewhere Classified | |
| N/A (Formerly SIC 3080) | Miscellaneous Plastics Products, Not Elsewhere Classified |
In the RMA's review of these eight categories, the RMA Occupational Safety and Health Committee elected to omit three from the compilation process. The categories omitted were perceived as being outside the scope and coverage of the Association's member companies. The SIC categories not covered in the annual survey are: SIC 3021 (Rubber and Plastics Footwear), SIC 3031 (Reclaimed Rubber) and SIC 3080 (Miscellaneous Plastics Products). The report will no longer use SIC codes and instead will use the NAICS system only.
In 1987, the government introduced changes to the SIC system which resulted in revisions to the SIC 30 categories. Of the three changes affecting SIC 30, two were administrative and one substantive. The administrative changes involved: 1) a numerical change altering the digit code for Rubber and Plastics Hose and Belting from 3041 to 3052, and 2) the movement of Gaskets, Packings and Sealing Devices from Industry Group SIC 3293 to SIC 3053. The major change in 1987, which affects the prior historical data occurred to SIC 3069. The government created a new category out of a segment formally reported in SIC 3069. This new industry category is SIC 3061 "Molded, Extruded and Lathe Cut Rubber Mechanical Goods."
Although implemented in 1987, the BLS report has yet to incorporate the new category of SIC 3061 and still presents the incidence rates for both SIC 3061 & 3069 lumped together under SIC 3069. This BLS decision to delay implementation of the new SIC nomenclature does pose several problems regarding the comparability between RMA and BLS data. To address the problems, the BLS bulletin presents the government data for SIC 3069 under the pre-1987 SIC system. RMA's data is shown according to the new SIC/NAICS classifications.
What additional reports are published from this data? (top)Each year, the RMA publishes a separate Tire and Elastomer Products Sector report that lists "Total Cases Incidence Rates," DART Severity Rates" per company, and "DART Cases for Injury and Illness Rates," per company. As in years past, the Tire Sector listed the above rates per company and the General Products Group Sector listed these rates through a blinded rating system. In 2005, as voted on at the RMA Occupational Safety and Health Committee meeting, all RMA sector reports will list the above rates per company and not blinded.
What is the “Internal Supplier Category” that has been added to the products category? (top)The category was created to award those member companies that have internal suppliers. The goal of opening this category is to have more internal recognition for the facilities. It is open to manufacturing and process-related facilities.
Improvement Awards only will be given to this category in which those facilities that are 10% better than the previous year or at or below the most recent BLS data for the respective SIC/NAICS code.
If I have a question about the report, who do I contact? (top)For any questions about the program including the online reporting form and the calculations, please contact Kim Weber at 202-682-4835 or kim@rma.org.
How does the RMA and BLS data differ? (top)The RMA and BLS data differ in two respects. The first involves the scope of coverage. The RMA survey collected data confined mainly to rubber products, while the BLS report has a category covering miscellaneous plastics in addition to rubber products. This difference between the data collected negates a comparison of incidence rates at the two-digit industry group level (SIC 30) between BLS and RMA. For informational purposes, the RMA Report does provide the BLS figures at the two-digit (SIC 30) industry group level. Another area of difference concerns the coverage of the data. The RMA sought data for injuries and illnesses at the production line level, while the BLS survey represents the incidence rate in relation to the total work force (clerical, administrative and production line). Since incidence levels in the non-production line arena are relatively low, this difference should not significantly affect the comparison of BLS and RMA incidence rates.
What is the deadline for reporting plant facilities? (top)All facility reports are to be completed electronically by no later than Friday, February 12, 2010.
How are the rates in the report calculated? (top)Calculations found in the Occupational Injury and Illness SHIP Survey Report are as follows:
Total Cases -Total Recordable Rate (TRR) - Incidence Rates. To calculate use: G+H+I+J.
DART Incident Rate -Days Away, Restricted or Transferred Rate. To calculate use: H+I.
DART Severity Rate. To calculate use: K+L (calendar days and not work days are counted.)
Non-Fatal Cases Without Lost Workdays - Non-fatal Cases Without Days Away - Incidence Rates. To calculate use: J.
Calculation Legend:Definition of the Improvement Award - The Improvement Award is based upon the DART Incidence rate and is awarded to plants that achieve a DART incidence rate that is both 10% better than its DART incidence rate from the previous reporting year and is the same or better than the RMA average DART incidence rate in each SIC for the current reporting year. Days Away from work, Restricted or Transferred (DART) incidence rate is calculated by using the totals from columns H & I on the OSHA Form 300 multiplied by 200,000 and divided by the total hours worked for the reporting year.
Definition of the Excellence Award - The Excellence Award is based upon the DART Incidence rate that is 75% better than the average achieved by plants that provided data to RMA in each Standard Industrial Classification (SIC). Days Away from work, Restricted or Transferred (DART) incidence rate is calculated by using the totals from columns H & I on the OSHA Form 300 multiplied by 200,000 and divided by the total hours worked for the reporting year. Consideration for 2007 Program: For those plants that operate below 75% (or 1.45 or below) - what kind of fluxuation is there? Also consider "world class" levels. We may need a cap on how high we can go.
When are the awards distributed? (top)The SHIP awards traditionally are presented at the Tire Products Group/Elastomer Products Group Annual Meeting typically held the first quarter of the year. Due to the economic environment our member companies are facing, the RMA will not hold a meeting. The awards will instead be mailed to member companies the first week of April.
Other Issues Can a plant receive both an Excellence Award and an Improvement Award? (top)If a plant receives both an Excellence Award and an Improvement Award, the plant only receives the Excellence award since this is the one plants are striving for.
If a plant has a death in the plant, should they still report? (top)If a plant has a number other than zero in the "death" column, the plant must still submit data to ensure the reliability of data. As was the case in previous years, if a recordable death occurs in a plant, that plant is not eligible for an "Excellence" or an "Improvement" award for the year the recordable fatality was recorded.
Does a plant need to submit data every year? (top)All plants producing rubber products must submit data on an annual basis to ensure statistical integrity.
If a plant does not submit their data the previous year, the plant is not eligible for winning an Improvement Award.
What happens when my plant changes classification from the year previous? (top)SIC/NAICS codes cannot change from year to year (i.e. One plant cannot report as a sealing plant and then the next year as a hose plant).
If a plant code does change, a small mandatory comment section box will be displayed that must be filled out by the member explaining why their SIC code has changed from the previous year.
How should "contract workers" be accounted for in the report? (top)Plants reporting must follow OSHA rules/guideline for contract workers. Each plant must make that determination.
REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS (top)The information requested on this survey form is based upon the information that your company has already collected in order to comply with Federal regulations. The RMA SHIP form is a copy of the OSHA Form 300A.
Please transfer the data as reported on your official OSHA Form 300A to RMA's SHIP form.
Company: Indicate the company in which you are reporting. Company names on the scroll-down menu are identical to those on the RMA membership list.
Company Subsidiary Name: This is the only optional field. If you are reporting for a facility named differently than on the scroll-down menu identical to those on the RMA membership list, please indicate the name in this box.
Name: Indicate the name of the person submitting the form.
Email: Indicate the email address of the person submitting the form. The receipt will also be sent to this email address.
Phone: Indicate the phone number of the person submitting the form.
Plant Name: Clearly label the facility being reported (Do not refer to plant by numbers e.g. Plant #1).
City: Indicate the town in which the plant is located.
State: Indicate the state in which the plant is located.
Plant Product: Indicate the product made at the plant by using the scroll-down bar. If a combination of products are manufactured at the plant reported, please select the product of greatest value. If you are an RMA Supplier member, please choose "Supplier" in the scroll down menu. On OSHA's revised Form 300A form, in the "Establishment Information" area, Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) OR North American Industrial Classification (NAICS) are requested. Please use only the SIC code for the RMA SHIP report form.
Average Number of Employees: Indicate the yearly average number of employees (both salaried and hourly) for each plant reported. For those companies that have a corporate headquarters and a plant together, DO NOT report on those employees working in company headquarters. Report only for manufacturing positions.
Total Man-Hours Worked: Indicate the total number of man-hours worked for all employees (both salaried and hourly) for the entire year. For those companies that have a corporate headquarters and a plant together, DO NOT report on those employees working in company headquarters. Report only for manufacturing positions.
Average Work Week Per Employee: The report automatically calculates this number. The purpose of this field is to do a self check of the employees versus the total man-hours worked field.
Number of Cases: Copy the information off your posted OSHA Form 300A (Letters on RMA's form correspond to OSHA's Form 300A).
Number of Days: Copy the information off your posted OSHA Form 300A (Letters on RMA's form correspond to OSHA's Form 300A).
Injury and Illness Types: Copy the information off your posted OSHA Form 300A (Letters on RMA's form correspond to OSHA's Form 300A).
AFTER YOU HAVE CHECKED YOUR INFORMATION, PUSH "SUBMIT" AND YOUR INFORMATION WILL GO DIRECTLY TO RMA. A RECEIPT WILL BE SENT TO THE ADDRESS IN WHICH THE FORM WAS SUBMITTED. THIS RECEIPT IS YOUR CONFIRMATION THAT RMA HAS YOUR DATA IN ITS SYSTEM.© 2012 Rubber Manufacturers Association