Vol. 5 # 1 - Tiffin Motorhomes

N e w s Y o u c a n u s ePlant Safety at Tiffin MotorhomesExtends to Visitor ToursTop management, plant managers, supervisors, and employeestake plant safety at Tiffin Motorhomes very seriously. It is thatconcern that led Joe O’Neill, TMH’s Safety and Health Coordinator,to develop a safety policy for plant tours.“Mr. Tiffin has always wanted our visitors and coach ownersto see the quality that goes into the construction and assemblyof our motorhomes. Through the years, the company allowedowners to visit almost any part of the production area. Employeeshave always been very careful to watch out for the safety andwelfare of our visitors,” O’Neill said.In the last five years, the number of employees has doubled.“Because of our growth, it was simply a practical step to writeinto our safety policy several protocols for tours. We want everyoneto feel comfortable and safe as they enjoy the educationaltours that Red Davis offers to our visitors,” O’Neill continued.To create a safe environment, O’Neill designed a “red carpet”approach for guests taking the tour. “It’s not really red carpet,” headmitted. “But we did paint a four foot wide pathway with yellowborders to help our production employees be aware of exactlywhere our guests are when visiting the plant. Fork lift operators,those who are moving materials, and everyone involved with toolsconstantly look out for our visitors who may be on the ‘red carpet.’Given the pace that we maintain in production, we wanted to getthe tour aisle defined in order to keep it clear of materials, dropcords, air lines and anything that might cause a fall,” he said.TMH management still wants visitors to feel free to directquestions to production employees. “We always want our toursto be a learning process,” TMH general manager Tim Tiffin saidrecently when he endorsed O’Neill’s policy to extend plant safetypolicies to cover the company’s visitors.Tiffin emphasized that the company has taken a very proactiveapproach to plant safety. O’Neill and company nurse SusanMills wrote a safety and health policy, personally endorsed byTim and Bob Tiffin, which is posted in all departments and reviewedannually. “Our employees know we are committed tothe policy,” O’Neill said. “With safety, you tend to get tunnelvision. Because we welcome professional consultants, we invitedthe Safe State Onsite Consultation Program to visit TMH andmake recommendations,” he explained. The program is part ofthe College of Continuing Studies at the University of Alabamain Tuscaloosa.“Safe State checked and approved the visitation system thatwe designed,” O’Neill said. “If you don’t encourage visitors totour your plant, you may not have a business for very long. Wereally care about their safety and wanted the outside consultationprogram.”With over 14 years experience in the safety field, O’Neill emphasizedthe importance of jointly involving management andemployees in the policy process. “We have safety committees inboth the Red Bay and Belmont plants,” he said. The two committeesinvolve 38 employees from all departments, an environmentalcoordinator, the company nurse, and, of course, O’Neill.Top management members include plant manager Tim Massey,director of engineering Brad Witt, and human resources directorTony Riley.The company’s proactive approach has produced results.With the dedication and hard work of the company nurse, SusanMills, and the safety teams in each department, days of work restrictionsdue to accidents have been reduced by over 1,000 percentin the last year. Accident rates have been cut by 30 percent.“Sometimes it is necessary to change a manufacturing process.Sometimes you have to ask an employee to change the way he orshe does something. Whenever we make such a change, we stressemployee safety,” O’Neill said. “Once in a while somebody willget a little annoyed. But I always tell them, ‘I’d rather have yougo home a little mad at me, than you not go home at all due toan accident.’”King Controls Announces New VuQube ®Portable Satellite AntennaKing Controls, a leading manufacturer of mobile satellite antennasystems for the RV Industry has introduced the VuQube ®Portable Satellite TV Antenna. The Industry’s first portablesatellite antenna under a dome, the VuQube ® incorporates userfriendly features not found with other portable antennas.Place the VuQube ® antenna on the ground, picnic table, oranywhere you have a clear line of sight to the southern sky. Asingle 50-ft. coaxial cable connects the antenna to the tripodinput on your RV. The wireless remote control tilts and turnsthe internal dish towards the satellite while monitoring thesignal meter on the TV inside the RV. A built-in automatic levelfeature keeps the dish pointed at a consistent elevation whilerotating, even on unlevel ground.The system comes complete with antenna unit, wireless remotecontrol, 50-ft. RG-6 coaxial cable, and operating instructionsthat include elevation maps for various satellites. The antennareceives +12 volt power from the satellite receiver throughthe coaxial cable, so there is no need for a separate power supply.The lightweight compact dome measures 16” W x 17.5” H andweighs 10.5 pounds.“There is great demand for an easy to use, portable satelliteTV antenna,” said Shawn Winn, King Controls national salesmanager. “It’s agreat solution forboth cost consciousRV ownerslooking for aneasy to use, affordableantenna, andfor motorhomeowners wantinga second dish fortimes when theirr o o f - m o u n t e ddish is obstructedby trees at a particularcampsite.The 5-minute setup is much simpler than traditional portable dishes makingthe VuQube ® more versatile to be used not only while campingbut tailgating, at the cabin or even at home in the back yard towatch the big game outside.”King Controls’ VuQube ® model VQ1000 antennas have asuggested retail price of $899 and are available in the U.S. andCanada through King Controls’ dealer network. For more information,call (800) 982-9920 or visit www.kingcontrols.com.How to Keep Your Moen Nickel StainlessSteel Sink Looking Like New1. Rinse your sink thoroughly after each use.2. For ordinary cleaning use any household soap or detergent.THOROUGH RINSING after cleaning is necessary to removethe dulling film sometimes left by liquid detergents.3. Spots and stains can be prevented by weekly cleaning with amildly abrasive, non-scratch formula powdered cleanser. Rublightly, following the grain lines of the finish. Rinse well withclear water and dry.4. Warning: Do not clean your sink with steel wool pads. Smalliron particles left in the sink may rust and become unsightly.“The Invisible Bra TM ” Paint Protection FilmThe CLEAR Alternative To The Vinyl Bra and PlasticDiamond Shield Paint ProtectionFilm is designed to preserve the beautyof ALL exterior automotive type finishes.Eliminates paint chips and damagecaused by stone chips, bug acids, roadsalt, abrasions and weathering.An 8mil clear gloss urethane film which contains UV inhibitorsand is resistant to yellowing.Standard Installation: fiberglass painted areas belowthe windshield, under the grab handle, around door lock andbeneath the entrance doorExclusive Standard System wraps most edges on the hood,generator doors, their compartments and their openings.Factory installations wrap film under cap moldings and undermirrors, leaving NO visible film edges.Coaches without Diamond Shield CAN be scheduledfor installation right at the Tiffin Service Dept. Call forfurther details!Diamond Shield is applied by Factory Certified Installerswho are located across the U.S., call for the one closest to you!ONLY major brands of urethane films are used. NO privatelabels, which ensures against liability and warranty issues.888-806-5862 • 585-454-1950www.Diamond-Shield.com E-Mail: diamondshield1@netzero.net34 Roughing It SmoothlyNews You Can Use 35