Spring is a good time to review your safety plan Email
Written by Colorado Green NOW   
Tuesday, April 27, 2021 04:00 AM

The COVID-19 crisis brought new challenges to ensuring workplace safety. As landscape companies begin their busiest part of the year, it’s an excellent time to re-evaluate your overall workplace safety plan—not just COVID precautions. April 28 is World Safety and Health at Work Day, as declared by ILO (International Labour Organization). Why not take the day to start your safety program review?

Every year in the United States, thousands of people die from work-related injuries—5,333 in 2019. That was the highest number since 2007. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that a worker died every 99 minutes from a work-related injury in 2019. Overall, transportation-related events, especially vehicle incidents on the roadway, were overwhelmingly the major cause of death while on the clock.

Beyond creating a safety plan, be sure your team incorporates safety into the culture. Regular safety talks, printed reminders, and recognition for reaching safety goals help reinforce that culture.

Be sure that your foremen and managers are talking about safety at each team meeting. Remind employees that the safety rules are not a punishment or an extra job—the rules are in place for their benefit.

Taking the time to review your OSHA compliance will keep your workforce safe but could also save your business money in costly fines for not fulfilling the record-keeping requirements. It also saves you money in productivity. Injuries on the job also slow down your processes and cost your company money in lost productivity. Set aside a few hours for an internal safety review. Evaluate your current safety plan and identify any weaknesses, and work with your staff to fill in the gaps.

Read more in this issue of Colorado Green NOW:
Educating consumers on tree choices is important and ongoing
2020 CSU flower trials top performers
COVID vaccines: implications in the workplace

Days on the Hill to be virtual for 2021