on potential safety issues. Mahoney Associates, based in
Southampton, New York, uses constant re-enforcement of company policies and procedures to help ensure team members are properly informed and trained when executing their daily tasks, according to owner and president, Don- ald Mahoney Jr.
IMPLEMENTING YOUR SAFETY PLAN EVERY DAY
Making sure your crews are following safe practices every day can be a challenge, but these Best of the Best Award winners use a number of methods to ensure safety is top of mind each day. Gile says getting everyone involved and getting everyone to buy in to the safety culture is what ensures they are safe every day. “We rely a lot on each team member looking out for the other,” Testa says. “That applies not only to the good, but also to the bad, meaning if a crew mem- ber is behaving in an unsafe manner, we expect someone to speak up and step up to lend a hand. If someone on that crew helps another out, we want to also hear about it. This could be verbal or a comment card.” Lutz says Aspen Grove places a high level of trust in their teams. They verify that the proper precautions and safety measures are being taken by site audits, daily checklist procedures and compli- ance visits, but he says verification is not the secret ingredient. “The secret to safety is having leader- ship empowered to be safe,” Lutz says. “Most of the safety incidents come back to a management failure of some kind, but we want our team to go home as safe and healthy as they arrived to work that day. This is cultivated by empow- ering our leadership and management levels by giving them the resources needed to accomplish safety.” Salas says they have supervisors and leadmen trained on OSHA standards and they are responsible for conducting daily toolbox briefings that are specific to the jobsite and project. “PFM also implements a monetary award and company-wide recogni- tion system where ‘good catches’ are reported and used to develop future training efforts,” Salas says. “Everyone has a chance to submit a ‘good catch’ at any time, which creates a culture geared towards identifying and not hiding prob- lems. The incentive system is created to
empower all personnel to take part and contribute to the safety program on a daily basis.”
Crystal Arlington, LIC, president
of Affiliated Grounds Maintenance based in Lake City, Pennsylvania, says they have morning meetings and also request feedback from their customers, employees and foremen. She says she taps into sources like NALP for litera- ture, books and current trainings. They also conduct a fair amount of video and hands-on training for safety. “Always oversee hands-on training with a piece of equipment or vehicle or when somebody is backing up some- thing for the first time,” Arlington says. “They should always have somebody there training them first.” Craig says their crews check all the lights are working on their trucks are working before leaving in the morning. Similarly, at Mahoney Associates, their managers do a daily checklist prior to teams leaving the facility. Also, random spot checks are conducted to ensure employees are wearing and utilizing the proper PPE. “We conduct daily equipment checks to include vehicles, trailers, and equip- ment,” Testa says. “The last thing we want to do is send a crew out in a truck with bad tires or with a piece of equip- ment missing safety guards. This is the responsibility of the driver or designated crew safety lead.”
ADVICE FOR OTHERS
Here are some final takeaways these companies have to offer when it comes to operating as a safe company. “Lead by example and give your team all the education and tools they need to be safe, not only for themselves but their team members and our clients,” Mahoney says. “We constantly remind our team members they are no good to their families, themselves or the compa- ny if they are injured because they did not follow proper safety protocols.” Testa says companies need to devel- op a sound safety plan and follow it. It should also be updated or changed as you grow and take on different types of work. “A safety plan that does not mention pesticides, but you are using them, is not a complete safety plan,” Testa says. “The same applies to changes in equipment and work areas. Look at your equipment. Is it old and run down, would you trust putting your family in
“Always oversee hands-on training with a piece of equipment or vehicle or when somebody is backing up something for the first time. They should always have somebody there training them first.” - Crystal Arlington, LIC, president of Affiliated Grounds Maintenance
a truck with bad tires? Keep up with maintenance and challenge your staff to respect the equipment and to look out for each other.”
Craig says they stress good housekeeping, which means keeping everything in its proper place. They also present their safety meetings in both English and Spanish. Arlington encour- ages providing employees with the safety guidelines, going over them and having them sign off on them. She also has employees sign in and out any time they do video or hands-on training. “Always follow your state and city laws and regulations, be proactive not reactive,” Arlington says. “If you are do- ing the trainings and teaching the safety and being proactive, you won’t have to react when something bad happens. You can always ask another company for guidance. I always tell people to sign up for Trailblazer program.” Lutz says the main thing is to focus on the basics and empower your people. “You don’t need to be a trained
safety expert to know that with a little education and some basic PPE, you can build the foundation of a successful safety program,” Lutz says. “Like a diet, you cannot be focused on the results, focus on the process, the results will come. Lastly, it is not about who did it, it is about who let it happen…Own it.” Salas agrees with Lutz that the key is to empower your employees to take ownership of their safety program. “Biggest factor in being a safe company is to have an open relationship with everyone on staff,” Gile says. “We talk about any situations that may be potential safety issues. Make sure all associates are comfortable to talk about situations that may become unsafe. Constant communication and feedback are very important.” TLP
Editor’s Note: One Best of the Best award winner, Trio Outdoor Maintenance, based in Lenox, Michigan, was unavail- able for this article.
LEARN MORE
ABOUT 2021 NALP SAFETY AWARDS.
ENTRIES OPEN IN EARLY FEBRUARY 2021.
https://www. landscapepro-
fessionals.org/ safetyawards
National Association of Landscape Professionals 17
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