Sometimes the environmental dangers of
a workplace are unknown and unavoidable.
Take the common occurrence of mercury
that was used 20 to 30 years ago in things
like switches, thermometers, pressure
gauges, medical devices and so on. These
materials can leak and cause dangerous
conditions for workers. And that’s why
Clark-Reliance Corp. has become one of
the leaders in safer working conditions.
Clark-Reliance, the industrial manufacturer that has introduced an array of instrumentation and filtration products into
industries ranging from petrochemicals,
refining, power generation and even the
U.S. military, introduced a mercury-free
level switch in 2007 as part of the company’s overall effort to make a greener industry. The switch is not only a big seller for
Clark-Reliance, it also is preventing mercury spills for all of its customers.
Pushing efforts like this for a safer world
outside of Clark-Reliance started at home.
President and CEO Rick Solon and his
leadership team began an internal recycling program in 2007 to reduce solid
waste going to local landfills and
decrease the company’s cost for hauling
away excess waste from its offices and
manufacturing plants. The recycling program had simple functionability: The
company purchased small recycling
buckets for each employee to keep at
their desk and larger 30-gallon bins were
kept throughout the office. There was
also plenty of creativity: Shop-floor workers were given special recycling cans to
separate out excess aluminum, stainless
steel, carbon steel, wood and cardboard,
and the company purchased coffee mugs
for everyone to eliminate the use of plastic foam cups.
The program also created a bit of an
economic stimulus package for the company, as it created savings from reduced
hauling fees and actual financial returns
on more than 1,200 pounds of e-scrap used computer equipment. To reward the
employees for holding up their end of the
green agreement and to keep them highly
involved, Clark-Reliance used the recycling money to purchase gas cards.
With all these adaptations made since
2007 and plans to go paperless underway, Clark-Reliance isn’t just pushing a
greener environment for its customers,
it’s building one of its own in Northeast
Ohio.
HOW TO REACH: Clark-Reliance Corp., (440) 572-1500 or
www.clarkreliance.com
