Industrial Towel and Uniform had a traditional OSHA safety program, and while it performed reasonably well, management was taking too much of the responsibility.
“We were unsuccessful at getting people to be responsible for themselves,” says David Leef, vice president of the company. “If we, as management, are saying we’re responsible for safety, then the employees start to not pay attention to it because they think someone else is handling it.”
Leef and the others realized that employees have the final says in safety — whether an unsafe machine is used, whether safety goggles are worn or whether unsafe conditions are reported.
ITU decided it was time to educate the employees to make the right choices, using a variety of rewards and discipline.
“It’s a concept that fits well into any organizational strategy,” says Leef. The company developed a fundamental list of safety habits based on the acronym TOWELPROS, to provide daily reminders to the staff. Quizzes test an employee’s knowledge of the habits, and how they apply to that person’s job. Correct answers are rewarded with recognition or safety bucks, which can be used to buy shirts or jackets with the company logo, or safety-related items for the home, such as smoke detectors or first aid kits.
All employees are required to serve on safety committees for a six- to 18-month term and there is a training class, where they learn to do an accident investigation and a job safety analysis.
“We turn as many people through the safety committees as possible,” says Leef.
There are incentives and prizes for other behaviors, such as miles driven or days without an accident. When a certain level is reached, savings bonds are awarded to all employees.
Employee participation, whether it be on a safety committee or turning in near-miss reports, is tracked. Those not participating are encouraged to do so.
ITU also sponsors monthly training sessions on subjects such as winter driving and fire extinguisher use.
Managers’ bonuses are affected by the participation rate of their workers.
“People are paying attention and changing their behaviors,” says Leef. “You have to have measures to be successful. If you’re not keeping score, it’s just practice. We’ve gone 265,000 miles without an accident and it’s posted. That number is updated daily.
“The most important element is repetition. It’s literally advertising by keeping it in front of them. There are a lot of reminders given. If companies can get people to smoke by advertising, we can get them to be safe.”
The commitment — and the money — has to come from the top.
“You can’t fake it,” says Leef. “You have to have your top managers committed to it. They have to wear their protective equipment in the plant, too. It does cost some money, and much of the payback will be in nonfinancial terms, like morale and productivity.”
Todd Shryock ([email protected]) is SBN’s special reports editor.
