National Safety Month: Joe Burton and the KPAC Team Reinforce Safe Operations

As Kuraray America, Inc. continues to recognize #NationalSafetyMonth, we are spotlighting Joseph Burton, GSP (Joe) and the Kuraray Plantic and Compounding (KPAC) team. At KPAC, safety is personal because every voice, every observation, and every decision is valued, from those new to the site to those with decades of experience.

As KPAC’s Production Supervisor II, Joe supports a team where safety is built through trust and collaboration. Surveying our surroundings before a task, identifying and mitigating risks and speaking up when something does not feel right are all behaviors that keep us safe.

For Joe, reinforcing desired behaviors is not separate from the job. It is part of doing the job safely.

During an extrusion screw-change process, Joe leveraged his stop work authority when he noticed a newer employee working behind a hydraulic tool creating a serious hazard for body positioning. Without hesitation, Joe stopped the work, explained the hazard, and had the team reposition before continuing.

For the team, it was a clear reminder that slowing down and surveying their surroundings is part of doing the job right. It also reinforced Kuraray’s commitment that nothing is more important than going home safely.

As part of KuraSafe, KPAC is focused on maintaining the trust, communication, and safety ownership already present across the site. Through the First Impression Analysis (FIA) process, KPAC identified both strengths and growth opportunities to help keep safety visible, actionable and owned by the team:

✅ Consistent safety communications through 3 KuraSafe meetings each month giving the team regular space to review KPI’s, eTracker reports and Initial Incident Report(s) (IIR)

✅ Digital tools such as QR codes for 5S projects, Power BI dashboards, and eTracker reports to help employees report concerns, share ideas and improve visibility across the site

Opportunity: Continue to grow psychological safety and make near-miss reporting and speaking up feel like a natural part of the job, because everyone should feel like they have that authority to enable safe operations.

For Joe and the KPAC team, “Safety is the cornerstone of everything we do” means every person goes home safely to their family.

At KPAC, safety comes before production, and that mindset has become part of how the team thinks, works and looks out for one another.