Ag Growth International (AGI) has celebrated a major safety milestone at its manufacturing facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
The company has said that in the past ten years, the facility has recorded no lost-time incidents. A lost-time incident (LTI) refers to a non-fatal injury that results in disability or an employee missing work due to an injury. An LTI measurement is a baseline representation of a company’s safety performance and the effects of those injuries on workforce productivity.
The 10-year achievement was celebrated at a special event with an awards ceremony that recognised the employees.
“I commend the AGI Saskatoon team for achieving an incredible safety milestone of ten years with no lost time incidents. Their achievement demonstrates that safety, as a guiding principle, is deeply ingrained in our work culture,” said Paul Householder, president and chief executive officer of AGI.
“They embody AGI’s highest global priority that every employee – regardless of where they work or the type of environment they work in – returns home at the end of each day in the exact same working condition in which they arrived.”
The Saskatoon facility is the second AGI facility to achieve a 10-year no-lost-time status. In 2023, AGI Olds, Alberta, was the first to secure the decade distinction.
Earlier this year, the facility passed two million hours incident-free in May. The plant was commissioned in 1989 and specialises in manufacturing engineered-to-order smooth wall grain and fertiliser bins used in commercial agriculture and farming.
“This achievement entirely belongs to the team’s absolute dedication to safety leadership at all levels. Their ‘winning ticket’ includes vigilance, prevention and education. They are continuously on the lookout to identify, report and fix potentially unsafe conditions and processes. That allows them to avoid hazards and near misses before someone gets hurt,” said Kris Wingert, operations manager at AGI Saskatoon.
“The skillset required is not robotic, but hands on. This means that multiple machines moving, lifting and transporting can create opportunities for things to go wrong. That is why having tight processes in place and maintaining a culture of ongoing education, welding certifications, and employees looking out for each other are crucial to safety.”
Harsha Bhojraj, vice president of manufacturing at AGI, added: “The AGI Saskatoon team has shown that it is possible to adjust and be safe every single day for ten years straight regardless of changing conditions — through upturns and downturns, across day and night shifts, from summer to winter, and with new and experienced associates. Their record raises the bar for what safety excellence at AGI means.”