MIA Safety Committee Leadership Change Announced
Contact:
Marble Institute of America
(440) 250-9222
networking@marble-institute.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(MIA0079)
Cleveland, OH, June 10, 2014 — Jonathan Mitnick, Vice President, CCS Stone, Inc., and managing partner of Marble Devices, USA, accepted the Chairmanship of MIA's Safety Committee during the committee's semi-annual meeting at Coverings 2014. Mitnick takes over for current chair, Jim Nikolopoulos, Director of Operations at Walker Zanger, who will remain active on the committee following a two year stint as chairman.
Jonathan Mitnick of CCS Stone, Inc. in Moonachie, NJ
MIA's Safety Committee is made up of some of the most talented safety and operations managers in the stone industry. Ted Skaff, GranQuartz/Pearl Abrasive Co., will serve as Vice-Chair.
A charter member of the committee, Mitnick finds his new role both challenging and disconcerting, stating, "I've seen and heard of too many fatalities or near-misses that, when examined, could have been avoided had better operating procedures been in place. I feel this committee is helping to fill the need by developing and publishing best practices for the stone industry."
Skaff added, "We have safety experts from twenty-two North American and multi-national companies sitting at the table. We are competitors in the marketplace, but in these meetings, we work together for the safety and health of the people in the entire industry."
Outgoing Chair Nikolopoulos reinforced Skaff's statement saying, "The Safety Committee is a highly dedicated group of volunteers encompassing the distributor, equipment and risk management sectors of the stone industry. Over the last several years, we have identified issues and provided seriously needed safety solutions for our industry."
Committee accomplishments over the past year include a "Health & Safety in the Stone Business" manual revised for Ontario, Canada (also available in French Canadian), a new Slab Clamp Safety video, and monthly toolbox talks/safety meeting agendas. For more information on these and other safety related items, please see http://www.marble-institute.com/education/stone-industry-safety-resources.
About the Marble Institute of America
Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the Marble Institute of America (MIA) has served as the authoritative source of information on standards of natural stone workmanship and practice and the application of natural stone products for 70 years.
Membership in the association is worldwide and includes over 1,600 natural stone producers, exporters/importers, distributors/wholesalers, fabricators, finishers, installers, and industry suppliers committed to the highest standards of workmanship and ethics.
MIA offers an industry accreditation program for fabricators and installers, markets a range of technical publications and consumer pamphlets on natural stone, sponsors business and technical meetings and seminars on industry-related topics, provides educational programming for architects and construction specification professionals, and conducts the annual Pinnacle Awards competitions recognizing outstanding natural stone projects worldwide.
MIA is also a leading promoter of stone usage in the commercial and residential marketplaces, producing consumer education materials on the use of natural stone and its proper care and maintenance. More information can be found on the association's website: http://www.marble-institute.com.
