From the Experts
Improving Your Safety Records
John Paglia, III
How Can My Company Keep Up with Our Safety Program?
Safety starts from the moment the employee exits his car and enters through the gates to work. The benefits of a safe work force extend beyond than the cost. Working unsafe is not an option. As technology increases in our society, it only presents an increased danger for drivers of today. There are many ways to implement a safe work force, we will discuss a few ways you can improve your safety records.
Set a Goal
At Florida Express Environmental, we strive for 0-0-0 across every division every month. This policy of ‘0-Accidents, 0-Incidents, 0-Injuries’, holds every employee and every division accountable. Have a way of recording all mishaps for all to see and learn from. In a common area, we have dry erase and cork boards. These boards record a summary of mishaps which are detailed at a group meeting. Plan to have a monthly meeting every month to discuss any mishaps recorded that month. Rather than tell what happened, teach ways to avoid the situation all together. If you have repeat incidents or offenders, you must identify the problem.
Keep It Interesting
Humans fall into complacency and lose attention when meetings become redundant. Ways to spice up safety meetings can include, but not limited to: inviting a guest speaker, providing breakfast with coffee and juices, playing a safety video, showing recordings of actual employees working safely in the field, etc. I like to use GoPro action cameras to document employees doing the right thing. Showing these videos companywide will boost the confidence of the employee and actually make him work safer. There are many times we can all sit together as a division and watch videos. Remember we all learn from each other. Every time we watch a video clip, there is a positive and negative situation that can arise. This study time is what I like to call preventative maintenance. We sit as a group and brainstorm together.
Reward Safe Actions
At Florida Express, we pay for safety. Our drivers are offered a monthly safety bonus. The criteria are based upon attendance, tardiness, professionalism, 0-0-0 policy, division policies, assigned truck cleanliness and proper VCR daily recordings. If employees exhibit continued excellence month after month, they are also granted our largest bonus. For any employee that exemplifies perfection for five years straight they are given a hefty bonus, all expenses paid vacation, and a trophy demonstrating their excellence and importance to all. However, if monetary compensation is not an option, knowing your employees and their hobbies offers another form of reward. In our type of business we have many different types of customers and connections. Use your connections in business to gain opportunities to reward your employees. For example, we have a customer that sponsors employees from time to time to come drive high-speed go karts that reach 50 mph. I haven’t had an employee complain from this free weekend activity. Some like to hunt, some like to fish. Whatever the hobby, be a business man/woman and strike a deal that will benefit your employees safe actions without costing you directly out of pocket.
Learn from Others
Safety is not an easy task. It is hard to monitor. If your company is large enough to employ a full-time safety director, it is recommended. His day will consist of auditing routes, evaluating personnel and enforcing your safety policies. We can all have policies in place, but if we do not enforce/reward employees, employees can become complacent about safety. There are many ways we can promote safety. There is no doubt that what we do is dangerous. The advice I can offer in a nutshell would be the following: set policies, set companywide goals, reward the good behavior and learn from the bad. Brainstorming is a very positive tool. Keeping an open mind is key, because at the end of the day we all learn from each other.
John Paglia III is a 4th generation garbage man. Before he climbed the ranks to become Florida Express Environmental’s General Manager, he had a successful career in college and professional athletics. John has been around the garbage industry since his car seat days. Currently, John is focused on growing his company and offering the highest level of customer service and prolonging the world we live in today. John wakes up every day knowing the impact professional haulers have on their community is far greater than most realize. He can be reached at (352) 629-4349, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.floridaexpress.us.