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In San Antonio, Texas, Shawn Salazar, owner of Heritage Lawn and Landscape Management, conducts training once a month. \u201cWe are a family-owned business,\u201d says Salazar. \u201cWe have a small number of workers who work closely together every day.\u201d Building the team to work together in a cohesive unit makes the training stick. In addition, supervisors can keep an eye out to be sure that workers understand and comply with all safety requirements.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of our formal training sessions happen in our office,\u201d Salazar says. \u201cOf course, we also conduct on-the-job training in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luis Fajardo is responsible for overseeing training for more than 500 employees at GTI, based in Las Vegas. The full-service company provides landscape construction and maintenance, with some of the largest commercial and homeowner association clients in Clark County. With such a large staff, training needs to be formal and accountable. Written lessons and presentations are held in classrooms, but there is still plenty of hands-on training outdoors.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur construction equipment operators are trained by our in-house safety manager, Luis,\u201d says Shirl McMayon, sales and business development manager. \u201cTo get his operator card, the safety manager spends time with the operator going over the manufacturer manual safety precautions as well as the GTI internal safety manual precautions. Then the safety manager observes the new operator using the machine.\u201d Operators are given a card with a checklist on each piece of equipment. When an employee fills the card, they are considered a GTI- certified operator.<\/p>\n
Bowen has a similar system. \u201cWhen we hire a new employee, they get a baseline document that has about 30 line items on it with various skills,\u201d says Bowen. \u201cWe empower our supervisors to be mentors, so after 30 days, the items are reviewed. Safety is a priority when it comes to equipment use, and the item won\u2019t be checked until the supervisor is satisfied that the employee is operating everything correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gathering materials<\/h2>\n
Though it\u2019s already integrated as a part of the company\u2019s standard employee development procedures, much of Bowen\u2019s documentation is also required for insurance coverage. \u201cOur training is mandated by our insurance carrier. We get audited every six months,\u201d Bowen says. \u201cWe have a big notebook of topics, and the supervisors can pick what they want to cover. We get most of our training materials from three places: our insurance carrier, the National Association of Landscape Professionals and Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bowen is especially appreciative of the educational materials he receives from industry associations. \u201cThey are specific to our region and totally related to what we do,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd our insurance carrier has a portal online that has general topics galore.\u201d<\/p>\n Training sessions typically cover two topics. There is always a safety topic to start, then a second topic covering technical issues such as fertilization, pruning, pest management and other practical subjects. \u201cEverybody has to sign off at the end. The sign-in sheets are all collected and submitted at the insurance audit,\u201d Bowen explains.<\/p>\n Salazar has incorporated training manuals and guidance that come directly from equipment manufacturers. \u201cSome of our training materials come from the manufacturer\u2019s literature,\u201d he says. \u201cBut we have developed our own programs as well.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition, Salazar also has manufacturers\u2019 representatives providing additional expertise. \u201cWe have a rep from the company come out to train and demonstrate their products at our job sites,\u201d he says. This is especially valuable with new equipment, products or techniques, giving employees the chance to get direct feedback from the representative on best practices.<\/p>\n GTI has also used guest speakers to spark attention and excitement. \u201cWe\u2019ve had expert arborists come and train crews on pruning and chain saw safety,\u201d McMayon says.<\/p>\n Bowen doesn\u2019t hesitate to repeat topics if necessary. \u201cWe\u2019ve had employees for five, 10 or 15 years and there\u2019s no reason to reinvent the wheel,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have a long page of topics and a big fat binder full of handouts and other information: equipment, PPEs, health-related issues. We do not repeat any topics for at least six months, though.\u201d<\/p>\n Using power equipment safely is a key topic with all companies, as well as basic safety issues. \u201cWe talk about how to maintain and repair the equipment we use on a daily basis,\u201d says Salazar. \u201cWe also talk about how to properly lift heavy items or how to properly shovel without hurting your back,\u201d Salazar says.<\/p>\n \u201cLadder safety, preventing slips and falls \u2014 all the basics need occasional reviewing,\u201d Bowen says.<\/p>\n All three companies also stress heat and sun protection for employees. \u201cWe go over the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, as well as ways to protect yourself from the sun,\u201d says Salazar.<\/p>\n As a skin cancer survivor, McMayon knows the importance of sun protection, even in the desert heat. GTI workers get long sleeves, jackets, hats and whatever they need to keep their skin protected.<\/p>\n Personal protective equipment has been a part of the landscape toolbox for decades. Gloves and hearing and eye protection are a must when using all equipment, with some equipment requiring even more gear, such as chaps for operators using chain saws.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are all issued safety glasses, work gloves and any other safety equipment we need per the job we are performing,\u201d says Salazar. \u201cSince we work closely together, supervisors make sure that proper safety gear is being worn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe issue our employees company hats and tinted safety glasses. Everyone in Florida wears hats and sunglasses, so that\u2019s a given and no problem,\u201d says Bowen. \u201cWe also issue gloves. If anything wears out, they can just exchange them for new ones.\u201d<\/p>\n Getting employees to use proper PPE can be tough when weather conditions make them uncomfortable. But it takes diligence from supervisors to make sure operators are working safely. \u201cIn Florida, it\u2019s too hot to wear earmuffs, so we issue ear plugs on a daily basis,\u201d says Bowen. \u201cIt can be a challenge for supervisors to be sure that employees are wearing them, but we make sure they do. And for the most part, they are willing. They just might need a reminder once in a while.\u201d<\/p>\n Even in the scorching heat of Las Vegas, GTI employees are required to wear safety gear at all times. Chaps, gloves, eye protection and hats keep workers sheltered from the sun as well as keeping them free from injury.<\/p>\n Emphasizing safe practices from the get-go creates a culture of safety that encourages employees to watch out for themselves and others, says Salazar. \u201cWe have fun working together every day, but we make sure we are safe doing our work. If one of us gets hurt, we all know we have to pick up the slack. That means more work for the rest of us. So we make sure we are always working safely.\u201d<\/p>\n Crew supervisors carry a lot of the burden of making sure operators stick to safety guidelines, but that can also provide a professional growth experience. \u201cWe empower our supervisors to be trainers and mentors for our crews,\u201d says Bowen.<\/p>\n Efficiency and performance are rewarded monthly with special pizza lunches for teams that make the mark. But Bowen notes that he rarely, if ever, needs to use warnings or other negative reinforcement to encourage safe practices.<\/p>\n While a safe, cohesive team makes for a positive work environment, safety training can also pay off in cold, hard cash. Insurance providers assign companies a modification factor as a credit or debit to your workers\u2019 compensation premium based on your company\u2019s actual losses compared to expected losses by industry type.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce you have a bad (modification factor), it lives with your payroll,\u201d says Bowen. \u201cIf you only have a couple of employees, that might be OK. But with 37 employees, that can mean thousands of dollars a year.\u201d<\/p>\n On the other hand, a positive modification factor can earn you a credit. \u201cAs long as we document our training and don\u2019t make any claims, we get a dividend from our insurance carrier,\u201d Bowen says. \u201cIt\u2019s a percentage of our premium. Since we are renewing this May and we\u2019re accident-free, unless something happens we\u2019re looking at a nice dividend.\u201d<\/p>\n To help keep his employees incentivized, Bowen installed a digital sign that automatically adds an \u201caccident-free\u201d day every 24 hours. \u201cI haven\u2019t been back there for a couple days, but last I looked it was 1,300-plus days. We also have a sign they pass when they go out the gate that says: Be Careful. Stay Safe. Just a reminder!\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, there are the savings that come from avoiding lost work time due to employee injury. Plus, consider the monetary investment you have in your equipment. \u201cOne of our most important topics is truck and trailer safety and loading,\u201d Bowen says. The company uses a dump truck that pulls a trailer loaded with equipment to each job.<\/p>\n \u201cNowadays, that dump can cost you $70,000,\u201d Bowen says. \u201cAdd a trailer that will set you back about $20,000, and load that with your small equipment. You figure you\u2019ve got $100,000 rolling down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n Safety training not only saves time and money, it also creates an atmosphere of caring and compassion that creates a workforce that is cohesive, loyal and ready to meet the challenges your business faces each day.<\/p>\n Build a strong power equipment safety program to protect both operators and profits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":3273,"parent":0,"template":"","main-categories":[28,33],"class_list":["post-3272","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","main-categories-landscape","main-categories-safety"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/playing-it-safe-3.jpg\")
Keeping employees covered<\/h2>\n
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This article originally appeared in Irrigation & Green Industry magazine.<\/em><\/h6>\n
Helen Stone<\/strong><\/a> is a freelance writer based in northern California covering the green industry for more than two decades.<\/em><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"