PROTECTING YOUR BUSINESS
Focus on Safety Training When Onboarding
By Jill Odom
STATISTICALLY, THE FIRST SIX TO 12 MONTHS WITH A LANDSCAPE company are the most dangerous period for new employees. By taking the time to ensure proper safety training from the start, you can help lower this high incidence level for your new hires.
While it may seem like common
sense to include safety training in your onboarding process, as you continue to grow your business, it’s a good idea to have this type of training organized. “Things go astray very quickly if it’s not dialed in from day one,” says Brian Connors, president of Peak Landscape, Inc., based in Truckee, California. Taylor Heisey, director of operations for
LaBahn’s Landscaping, based in Santee, California, says the number of incidents has drastically decreased with their new- er training and safety program. “In addition to creating a safer environ-
Photos: LaBahn’s Land- scaping
ment, we started using a company called Onsite Health and Safety,” Heisey says. “These trained healthcare profession- als provide 24-hour first aid to injuries. Adding this service has helped keep our employees safe since Onsite can come to the jobsite or the office same-day to
assist with any injuries when they occur.”
WHAT TO COVER Heisey says they cover their safety and PPE policies during onboarding, which takes about two hours. Then the production management team takes the new employee to their warehouse to train them on the correct and incorrect ways to use all the equipment. He adds they are working on a year-long safety and training program that all employees can access via an app. “I think basic safety information can
be often overlooked as we all take for granted what we assume people know,” Heisey says. “Reviewing policies can be helpful, but hands-on training and work- ing one-on-one with the employees is always the best way to make sure they are trained and safe in all aspects of their job. I always make sure our employees
know that it is our job to make them feel safe so they can go home to their families at the end of each day.” Joe Lewis, COO of Yard Solutions, based in Groveport, Ohio, says they have a PowerPoint presentation that address- es PPE, fire and fuel safety, heat and cold stress safety, landscape hazards and hazard communication. “I feel hazard recognition and who the
employee should go to for questions is often overlooked,” Lewis says. “I recom- mend approaching all training with the intent to make it easier to do the right thing. Essentially, focus on developing sound habits from orientation as a new employee through a tenured manager. Too often, the focus is on the conse- quence after something bad occurs, rather than developing effective habits and reinforcing that behavior.” Connors says they bring on their
new hires in the spring and take them through various safety stations. De- pending on the position they’re going into, the focus will change. He says they continue safety meetings every Monday about a relevant topic so everyone is on the same page throughout the season.
12 The Edge //May/June 2023
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