It Takes a Team: Employee Engagement is Key to Safe Laundry & Route Operations

A successful safety program requires plenty of hazard analysis and data. But achieving excellence in incident prevention takes more. It demands a management commitment to safety that’s consistently communicated to staff as a key priority. What’s more, managers must encourage employees to do their part to enhance safety. That was the consensus view among several laundry operators and safety experts we interviewed on this topic.

VISION INCIDENT FREE OPERATIONS

Chris Kientzel, safety and production specialist for Alsco Uniforms, St. Louis, describes the essence of incident-prevention initiatives, saying. “There are no secrets to an effective safety program. It’s not banners, slogans, T-shirts, or incentives. The key element will always be employee engagement.” Dan Getter, manager of safety operations for UniFirst Corp., Wilmington, MA, adds that a successful safety program requires a shift in mindset, starting from the top. “An effective safety program has to be leadership driven,” he says. “Leadership provides the message that provides the vision for it, and they say that this is going to be the standard. With leadership’s support of the program, they would drive it down so that you end up with employee ‘ownership,’ which transitions into engagement at all levels of the organization.” Getter cautions operators on this point, adding that, “The leaders can’t do anything without their people. You need to transition from ‘Yes, that’s something we believe in,’ and move toward, ‘This is who we are.’ And you accomplish that through your people.” Russell Holt, chief compliance officer for Superior Linen Service, Tulsa, OK, credits his company’s success in both hazard analysis and promoting safety awareness among employees with a 10-year-plus record of having zero incidents serious enough that the company had to report them to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Holt credits this success to an across-the-board commitment to safety. “It was that high level of commitment that helped fuel the remarkable achievements we have accomplished in safety, the results of which are a true testament to the hard work and dedication of both our management team and employees, who have made safety a crucial part of our company culture,” Holt says. “Working together, the management team and the employees have achieved something remarkable. We look forward to continuing our focus on safety to ensure that we maintain a safe work environment for all of our employees.” Partnering with OSHA on incident prevention has helped Superior Linen, which last year earned its fifth Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) certification. This OSHA program is designed for small-to-midsize companies. Those that meet SHARP’s rigorous requirements for proactive safety policies and employee engagement in incident prevention.

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