Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/183921
cover story cover story A safe reputation can mean better insurance rates and help a landscaper win bigger, coveted bids. "Large companies will go with the safer contractor, even if the bid is higher," says John Holbrook, owner of The Holbrook Company in Grand Prairie, Texas. And even more important than the financial motivation is the crewmember's wellbeing. "I view safety as a business obligation," says Edward Snyder, owner of Greenleaf Services in Linville, North Carolina. "I want to make sure employees go home to their families in one piece at the end of the day. That's certainly not something I take lightly." The benefits should be obvious, but the process to reach this safety goal might not be. Here are five ways landscapers can make safety a top priority for their company and employees. 1 Talk about it Making safety a priority rests with the company owner, and one way to get this message across is with regular safety meetings. Snyder, whose company won the Professional Landcare Network's (PLANET) "Best of the Best" safety achievement award, holds meetings every morning to go over relevant topics, which sometimes include safety concerns. They also have designated safety talks throughout the year. Holbrook stresses safety to his 105 employees with weekly meetings where he uses training materials in English and Spanish. He also encourages his team members to give feedback and suggestions about the company's safety practices. "Safety is a huge part of our success," says Holbrook, Equipment World magazine's Contractor of the Year finalist. "Even in tough times, we haven't had trouble with safety. We've proven safety doesn't cost – it pays." No only can safety meetings be used to educate employees on how to safely handle situations, tasks and equipment, these sessions can also provide a time to discuss past issues. "When something bad does happen, step back, look at it and see what you can do to prevent it from happening again," Snyder says. "When something goes wrong, how you handle the situation speaks louder about your character and Greenleaf Services uses lightweight, aluminum ladders and foldout steps mounted to the truck to make accessing the truck bed and tool storage easier and safer. 2 2 To ta l L a n d s cap eCare.c om Tot a L a n d s c a p e C are .c o m TLC1013_CoverStory.indd 22 OO C T O B E R 22 013 C T O B E R 013 9/25/13 2:22 PM