Trinity Operating Procedures - TOPs

TOP-GUIDE: General Guidelines

Rev: 4/18/2023

Scope: To help you (our employee) become better informed, we have prepared these Guidelines to provide general information of our philosophies, policies, and safety programs.

Procedure:

At Trinity Forge our number one priority is SAFETY, and our number two priority is INTEGRITY. Profit only comes in to play after these first two important qualifications have been met.

Violation of company policy, including any one in these General Guidelines may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Generally, management tries to handle less serious offenses through a system of progressive discipline, with a verbal warning, followed by a written warning, followed by suspension, followed by termination. However, this progressive discipline procedure for less serious offenses can be disregarded in management's discretion when permitted by law. (See TOP-ENFRC) In addition to our work rules, you are expected to obey local, state, and federal law.

These guidelines are subject to change at any time, without notice. Your continued employment will constitute acceptance of such changes, additions, or deletions. Changes will be communicated to you verbally, but you are also encouraged to check the bulletin boards regularly for important notices and announcements. For final authority always refer to the "Trinity Forge Operating Procedures" (TOPs) on the Internet. Additional work rules and procedures may be contained in other documents specific for certain jobs or learned through on the job training.

For information on the benefits of being an employee at Trinity Forge see TOP-BENFT. 

If you have any questions about these guidelines contact the Human Resources office at (817) 473-1515.

#1: WORK SAFELY

Before you do anything else, ensure the safety of yourself and those around you. We are all here to earn a living, not to destroy a life. Taking a shortcut might seem to help profits, but it is SAFETY, not profit, that is our highest priority.

Wear Your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): The map below (courtesy of Google Maps) shows what PPE is required in each work area; you may wear additional PPE if you wish.

• *Contained Clothing: Long sleeve shirts are required and must be tucked in. Sleeves can’t be rolled up. Long hair must be tied back. No loose or baggy clothing, chains, or jewelry.
• Where PPE Is Not Necessary: The offices, break room, locker room or when leaving the locker room to go home
• What We Provide: Trinity Forge provides hard hats, ear protection and eye protection.
• What to Purchase: You must purchase your own steel-toed safety shoes and gloves before starting work.
• Visitors/Office Personnel: Visitors must wear safety glasses in all areas of the shop, as well as a hard hat where required for employees. Ear protection is not required but can be requested. Note: No high heels in the shop.
• Production Forge: Production Forge employees must wear above the ankle leather safety boots with laces.

• Slacks, Jeans, Pants and Suit Pants

• Manufacturing Areas: Well, fitted jeans in the production area. Pants must be at your waist and not sagging. 
• Office Areas: Slacks that are like Dockers and other makes of cotton or synthetic material pants, wool pants, flannel pants, jeans and dress synthetic pants are acceptable. 

• Not allowed

• Jeans with holes, tears, rips
• Sweatpants 
• Exercise pants 
• Any form of shorts
• Leggings (up on Management discretion) or any spandex or other form-fitting pants such as people wear for biking. 
• As a rule, pants above knee length are not allowed. 

• Skirts, Dresses, and Skirted Suits

• Manufacturing Areas: Not Allowed 
• Office Areas: Casual dresses and skirts that are split at or below the knee are acceptable, or dresses/skirts at a length at which you can sit comfortably in public are acceptable. (Use you best judgement or ask Supervisor)

• Not allowed

• Short dresses/skirts that are above knee length. (Use your best judgement or ask Supervisor)

• Shirts, Tops Blouses, and Jackets

• Manufacturing Areas: T-shirts, long sleeve shirts, casual shirts, sweaters, golf-type shirts, and athletic tops are acceptable attire for work. Ex. Most forge department positions require long-sleeve shirts due to work environment, as part of PPE.

• Not allowed
• Tank Tops 
• Shirts that contain offensive words/logos
• 'oversided' shirts or shirts that are too tight.

• Office Areas: Casual shirts, dress shirts, sweaters, golf-type shirts, T-shirts, collared shirts, sweatshirts, athletic tops, and blouses are acceptable attire for work.

• Not allowed

• Tank Tops  or any type of sleeveless shirt
• midriff-baring stops
• Shirts that contact offensive words/logos

• Shoes and Footwear 

• Manufacturing Areas: Steal toed boots/shoes are the only footwear allowed in all manufacturing areas. 
• Office Areas: Boots, sneakers, flats, heels, sandals

• Not allowed

• Flips-Flops 
• Dirty/Torn Sneakers
• Slides or any type of house-shoes

Communicate with Your Supervisor: Your supervisor is there to help you keep you and your coworkers safe. You should let your supervisor know if you:

• Think there are any unsafe work practices.
• Are unsure about a machine or work procedure.
• Observe a fellow employee doing something in an unsafe manner.
• Notice that some safety equipment is not available.
• Are injured on the job, no matter how minor the injury seems to be - notify your supervisor IMMEDIATELY.

Keep Your Work Area Clean:  A clean place to work is usually a safe place. It is important that you help us maintain a clean, neat, and safe plant by doing the following:

Use Common Sense: A little bit of common sense can go a long way:

• THINK before attempting to perform any new task and do it the safe way.
• Be aware of your surroundings so you don’t trip/slip and fall.
• Only use equipment if you have been trained in how to use it.
• Do not bring in chemicals, supplies or tools from home for use in the workplace without the explicit approval of your manager.
• Don’t try to save time by running, throwing objects, and climbing over conveyor belts because it is just not worth the risk to you and your coworkers .
• Avoid boisterous, disruptive or negligent activities, such as horseplay and practical jokes.
• Never use machinery, equipment, or tools in a hazardous manner (ex. using air hoses to blow dust off clothing).
• Keep covers for all electrical switch boxes closed.
• Observe and obey all safety signs.
• Do NOT remove safety equipment/machine guards: NEVER remove machine guards/safety devices while machinery is running. If a guard or safety device needs to be moved follow lock-out/tag-out procedures (see TOP-LOKTG).

Know Your Job: Besides following the above guidelines, there are things you can do to prevent accidents:

Be Prepared for an Emergency: Although we can do a lot to prevent emergency situations, there is still a chance that something could go wrong. The best way to be safe in a crisis situation is to be prepared. This includes keeping exits clear of obstacles so a quick exit is possible. Also, if there is an emergency, we advise that you wear all of your PPE for easy extra protection. Giving false fire alarms or causing false fire alarms to be given undermines the effectiveness of real emergency alerts and will not be tolerated. Our emergency procedures are found in TOP-EMERP.

Lifting: Using the following techniques for lifting will help save your back and prevent injury:

• Make sure the load is stable and balanced.
• If it’s too heavy get help.
• Chose the path that doesn’t have tripping/slipping hazards.
• Bend at knees, not at the waist.
• Keep the load close to your body.
• Pivot when changing directions- don’t twist.

Forklifts/Pallet Jacks/Metal Carts: Only use a forklift if you have been properly trained. Use seat belt. No passengers. Do not get on or off while the forklift is in motion. Do not handle loads that are heavier than the rated weight capacity of the forklift. Full PPE is advised.

• When the forks/buckets should be down: Forks/buckets should be down while the forklift is in motion and while the engine is off. The only time you may raise the forks/buckets is while the forklift is completely stopped.
• When driving a forklift: Maintain a speed that allows you to stop safely. Keep a clear view of the path you are traveling. Do not drive up to anyone who is standing in front of a fixed object. When driving into another department, right-of-way goes to the vehicle in the department you are entering. When you come to an intersection or other location where you can’t see, slow down and sound the horn.
• When getting off a forklift: Set the parking brake. Lower the forks. Neutralize the controls.
• When using a forklift to lift a worker: Use the basket meant for this purpose. Make sure the basket is securely attached. Only lift the worker when the forklift is directly under the area the worker will be working on. Use a restraining means such as rails, chains or a body belt with a lanyard or deceleration device for the person(s) being lifted.
• If the forklift overturns: Do not jump from it -- hold on and lean in the opposite direction of the overturn.
• When driving on an incline Try to travel straight up and down, not diagonally. Tilt the load back. Raise the load only as much as is needed to clear the road surface.

Cranes and Hoists: The operator is responsible for the crane/hoist they operate:

• Inspect the crane/hoist at the beginning of every shift.
• Stay as far away from the load as possible.
• If a load is lifted unevenly or starts to swing it should be lowered right away.
• Never let a load pass over another person.
• Never take your eyes off of the load once it’s in motion.

Wheel Grinders: Follow these safety rules to prevent accidents:

• Check your grinder carefully before every use.
• Match the wheel to the machine's size and speed- don't exceed max rating
• Connect dry grinding operations to an exhaust system.
• Keep work area clear of debris or any material that could be ignited by sparks.
• If the work rest needs to be adjusted, turn the power off first.
• Allow grinder to reach full speed before making contact with piece being machined.
• Handle wheels carefully as they can be damaged if you drop/bang them.
• It is much safer to work at a lower pressure even if it takes longer.

Welding and Cutting: Follow these safety rules to prevent accidents:

• Keep fire hazards away from cutting or welding area.
• Fire extinguishers should be at hand and ready for immediate use.
• Welding requires extra PPE such as hoods and arm protectors.
• When welding for 30 minutes or more, remove electrode from the holder.
• When gas welding or cutting for 30 minutes of more, the torch valve and the valves on the gas cylinders should be closed.
• Valves should be closed when moving cylinders and when cylinders are empty.
• Cylinders with leaking valves should be taken outdoors and emptied away from ignition sources.
• Any hose burned by flashback should be discarded.
• Only flint-spark lighters should be used to light torch.
• Never have a plastic disposable lighter on your person when welding/cutting.

Fire Extinguishers: Fire extinguishers should not be tampered with and are to be used only when needed. Fire extinguishers need to be accessible in an emergency, so do not put things in front of them or block them in any way. Report all used or partially used fire extinguishers to your supervisor.

Steps to take when you have used a fire extinguisher:

1. Take it to your Leadman, Supervisor, or Manager
2. Then they should take it to the maintenance warehouse
3. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to make sure the used fire extinguisher is replaced with a new one

Drugs and Alcohol:The purpose of our drug and alcohol policy is to prevent the severe safety issues that can arise from employee drug and alcohol use. We test employees before they’re hired, at random intervals and when there’s an accident or suspicious behavior. This policy also includes amnesty provisions for someone who voluntarily steps forward and reports their own drug use. For specific details on this policy see TOP-DRUGS.

Firearm Policy: In order to keep our working environment safe, Trinity Forge does not allow guns, explosives or other firearms on company property. This restriction extends to employees who have state-issued handgun licenses, unless they have an exemption, signed by the HR Manager, in their personnel file.

Visitors: Non-employees are not allowed on company property, other than the office reception area, without permission of a manager or supervisor.

Security Inspections: Trinity Forge wishes to maintain a work environment that is free of drugs, alcohol and other improper materials. To this end, the company prohibits the possession, transfer, sale, or use of such materials on these premises.

Desks, lockers, and other storage devices may be provided for your convenience, but they still remain the sole property of the company. Accordingly, they, as well as any articles found within them, can be inspected by any agent or representative of the company at any time, either with or without prior notice.

The company likewise wishes to discourage theft or unauthorized possession of the property of employees, the company visitors, and customers. To facilitate enforcement of this policy, the company or its representatives may inspect not only desks and lockers but also persons entering and/or leaving the premises, any packages or other belongings, and any vehicles parked in the company parking lot. Any employee who wishes to avoid inspection of any articles or materials should not bring such items to the company's premises.

Accidents: When simple first aid won’t help, when trauma or severe injury occurs, or when a person cannot be moved because of their injury, call 911! Any time there is an accident you must refer to TOP-ACDNT. We are interested in preventing accidents whenever possible, but sometimes the underlying cause of accidents lies with “accident prone” individuals. Any employee involved in frequent accidents will be reviewed for possible remedial action up to and including termination. (For more information on medical and wage compensation for work-related injuries contact the HR Manager.)

#2: ACT WITH INTEGRITY

Do Right by the Customer: Trinity Forge's customers rely on us to live up to our motto of "value, service, integrity". It is your responsibility to always keep the customers' needs utmost in your mind, working to provide them with top quality products and information, on time. And remember, our customers have customers, too: people in cars, people on trains, people on airplanes, people defending their country, and people just like you trying to earn a living. People rely on Trinity Forge's products, which means they rely on you.

Do Right by your Teammates: We at Trinity Forge are a team, and teammates rely on each other. We all rely on you to be a good teammate, just like you rely on each of the rest of us.

The main thing people want from their teammates is respect. Trinity Forge strives to keep an atmosphere that is comfortable and safe for all of its employees. Therefore employees should treat each other with respect no matter what their position in the company. The following are examples of workplace behaviors that do not fit into this comfortable atmosphere:

• Using offensive language
• Wearing inappropriate attire
• Making derogatory remarks
• Telling off-color jokes about protected characteristics (sex, race, religion, age, disability, etc)
• Violence or threatening violence (ex. fighting, coercion, or manhandling)
• Insubordination (deliberate refusal to follow an order given by a member of management)
• Distracting other employees or causing confusion (ex. unnecessary shouting, catcalls, whistling)
• Note: Loitering in other departments or in the plant during non-working hours will not be tolerated-- just because you’re on break doesn’t mean everyone else is.

Policy Against Sexual and Other Unlawful Harassment: Harassment in any form takes away from a positive work environment. It is against company policy for any employee, supervisor, manager, or executive to engage in unlawful harassment. Harassment comes in many forms and what one person sees as “having fun” can be interpreted as harassment by another person. It should be noted that harassment in email form is included in our policy against harassment. To review the company’s specific policy on harassment see TOP-SXHAR.

Complaint Procedure: If you have a problem at any time with Trinity Forge, your supervisor or fellow employees, report it to your supervisor who will schedule an interview. You must report your problem within two days of the incident. Should the interview with your supervisor fail to solve the problem to your satisfaction, you may, with your supervisor's knowledge, schedule an interview with your supervisor and their supervisor. This should be done within four days of the incident. Should your problem still not be resolved, you may request a conference with upper management within ten days of the incident.

Do Right by the Company: Clearly, when an employee misuses, damages, destroys, or steals company property, they are not acting with integrity. Likewise, when an employee is taking pay without giving 100% they are not acting with integrity. The following are examples of workplace behavior that will not be tolerated:

• Restricting output (suspension of work, slowdowns, etc.).
• Sabotage (even graffiti).
• Performing substandard work in quality or quantity.
• Unauthorized manufacture of products for personal use (i.e., gifts for sale).
• Possessing property removed from company premises without proper authorization.
• Falsification of any reports pertaining to absence from work, claims pertaining to injuries, claims for any benefits provided by the company, communications or records.
• Gaining unauthorized access to company records and files whether they are locked or otherwise.
• Altering, defacing or removing governmental or company notices or bulletins that are posted on the company bulletin board.
• Note: Conviction of any offense which in management's judgment would make that employee undesirable can lead to disciplinary measures by Trinity Forge including termination.

#3: EARN A PROFIT

Given that you are working safely and acting with integrity, your primary goal is to earn a profit for the company. There are two key things that have to be done to make money: please the customer and avoid waste. Our customers are willing to pay a fair price for the materials and effort necessary to produce our products, but they are not willing to pay for mistakes or wasted time. As a Trinity Forge employee, your wages and benefits are directly related to the company’s profit, so you should do whatever you can to maximize the utilization of company resources (materials, equipment, time, etc). As you go about your daily duties, always strive to get the most from your time, efforts, material, and equipment.

MISCELLANEOUS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Attendance: Poor attendance habits lower productivity and put a burden on other team members. At Trinity Forge, we use a point based attendance plan that accumulates over your entire employment. Certain absences are allowed if your supervisor is given adequate notice. Disciplinary action will be taken for employees with negative scores. The following are some important highlights from the attendance policy (For the specifics on the attendance plan refer to TOP-ABSEN):

• You should not clock in more than 15 minutes before your shift is scheduled to start, or more than 15 minutes after your shift is scheduled to end.
• Make sure to clock-in before you begin working and clock-out before you leave the plant for any reason.
• The only way to gain attendance points is to have perfect attendance for 3 weeks in a row.
• Missing a scheduled training causes you to lose more points than anything else.

Note: Sleeping during work, leaving work before the end of your shift and exceeding break time will not be tolerated.

Employee Parking: Hourly employees are to park in the North corner lot behind the office buildings. Night shift employees may also park in any available parking spots in the front office lot (unless they are marked visitor spots). It should be noted that Trinity Forge is not responsible for the loss of personal items in, damage to, or theft of any vehicle.

How to Spot Who’s Who: It can be noisy in the forge shop, so hard-hat colors help you know who is who:

Hard hat stickers can also tell you a lot. For example, the big number tells you the number of years the person has worked for Trinity Forge.

Mail: You may not have your personal mail addressed to you in care of Trinity Forge. Our company mail service is set up only to handle mail pertaining to company business.

Pay: We believe that your pay should be based on the value of your work performance and any other legitimate factors management deems appropriate. Our aim is to attract and continue to employ high quality employees and encourage high level performance. In adopting pay rates, we strive to maintain fair and equitable work-to-pay relationships. We also believe in reviewing pay plans to keep them in line with changing conditions. If you should have questions concerning your performance, pay or advancement opportunities, set up a meeting with your supervisor to discuss your situation. The following are details of the pay schedule:

• The pay period ends on Wednesday.
• We pay weekly on Thursday after 2:00 p.m. (paid the next day!) - employees must wait until 2pm or after to pick up their check.
• Note: The last payroll before Christmas will include all holiday pay through December 31. The January 1st holiday will be included on the first payroll of the next year.

Personnel Records:

• Privacy Policy: As an employer, Trinity Forge has a responsibility to collect personal information regarding employees in order to meet reporting requirements and to service benefit programs. This information is protected and is not disclosed to any third party except as permitted or required by law, or as released by the employee in writing, even after employment ends. Managers, supervisors and other people with a "need to know" are required to maintain the confidentiality of all employee information. Without your written authorization, when a prospective employer requests your information, Trinity Forge only releases hire date, termination date and position. You have the right to schedule an appointment with the HR Manager to jointly review your Personnel File (except for information regarding future plans, complaints or security, or any information in the file regarding other employees). You may not remove, deface or otherwise make notations on any document in your Personnel File.
• Change in Personnel Records: It might be necessary to contact you or someone else at your home because of an emergency. It is, therefore, important that we have up-to-date information concerning your home address and telephone number. If you should change your address or telephone number you should report it to your supervisor or to the Human Resources office as soon as possible.

Solicitation/Distribution:

• Employee Solicitation/Distribution: During working time or in any work area at any time, you may not solicit or distribute literature to another employee, concerning any organization (including religious, fraternal, union, charitable, or any other type of organization). The reason for this rule is that management desires to maintain discipline and promote the efficient use of time by its employees and to avoid the littering of the premises. As used in this employee solicitation/distribution rule, the term "working time" refers to time spent in the performance of actual job duties, and excludes break times, meal times, and other periods during the work day when employees are properly not engaged in performing their work tasks.
• Non-Employee Solicitation/Distribution: It is company policy to deny access to company premises to all non-employees who seek to solicit or distribute literature for any organization (including religious, fraternal, union, charitable, or other type of organizations.)

Telephone Use:

• Company Telephones:There will be no incoming or outgoing personal calls on company phones. Emergency calls will be received by the office and delivered to you as quickly as possible. In case of emergency, explain your situation to you supervisor.
• Pay Phones:You may only use these during lunch and breaks.
• Cell Phones: Only supervisors and managers are allowed to have cell phones in manufacturing areas. Hourly employees may keep their cell phones their lockers or cars and but can only use them during lunch or breaks.

Termination of Employment:

• Pay upon Termination: If you are terminated for any reason, you will be paid, within a reasonable amount of time, for the hours that you have actually worked up until the termination date. You will also be paid for any accrued vacation time. However, you will not receive any severance pay as long as there is no violation of applicable law.
• Return of Property upon Termination: You are responsible for all property, materials, or written information issued to you or in your possession or control. You must return all company property immediately upon request or termination. Failure to return all company property will result in withholding said dollar amount of property not returned from your check. 

Tobacco-Free Workplace: 

Tobacco will not be tolerated on company property or in company vehicles. The company maintains a smoke- and tobacco-free workplace. Smoking or other use of similar products (including, but not limited to, cigarettes, “vaping” of electronic/e-cigarettes (regardless if they contain nicotine or tobacco) pipes, cigars, snuff, or chewing tobacco) is NOT permitted at any point during the workday. There are no designated smoke areas on company premises nor does the company allow smoking breaks during the workday. This policy also applies to anywhere else you may be while on the clock. Managers and Supervisors are to ensure employees are following this policy. Not following company policy can and will result in disciplinary actions. At a minimum, the following disciplinary actions will be taken as you cross these thresholds:

• 1st incident: written warning to personnel file
• 2nd incident: 1-day suspension
• 3rd incident: 1-week suspension
• 4th incident: automatic termination

EMPLOYMENT AT WILL

We work hard to treat employees fairly. Sometimes, employees leave despite our best efforts because they want to leave, move, find themselves in different circumstances, or simply want a change. Employment with the company is therefore entered into voluntarily, and the employee is free to resign at will at any time, with or without cause. Similarly, the company may terminate or change the employment relationship at will at any time, with or without cause, so long as there is no violation of applicable law.

In the event that an employee resigns, the company would appreciate a two-week advance notice. When the company pays an employee compensation for a particular term (week, month, year) the employee remains employed at will; the compensation is not intended to create any agreement to employ the individual for a particular term. No manager, supervisor, or other employee of the company has authority to enter into an employee contract varying or waiving the "at will" status of our company.

Revision history: