When an accident or near miss happens at a facility, communicate it throughout the company and do a thorough investigation to find out why it happened. “You need to educate employees that most accidents are caused by rushing, fatigue, frustration or complacency—by critical errors such as your eyes not being on the task or putting yourself in the line of fire, losing your traction, your balance or your grip,” Dawe says. It’s smart to have the head of the company or someone in upper management sit down with an injured employee to discuss the accident, experts say. It shows concern for the employee and demonstrates that the company really cares about safety. Take whatever corrective measures are necessary to prevent similar accidents and communicate your actions to all employees. Regular inspections Safety audits, inspections and walkthroughs must be part of any effective safety management program. “Do a daily walk-through. Then do documented weekly walk-throughs,”
consultant Brazzell says. “You are looking for trip hazards, poor housekeeping, machine guards removed, employees not wearing personal protective equipment, missing fire extinguishers, etc. Generate a list of items to fix by the following week. And identify people who need retraining.” In addition to regular inspections and audits conducted by each plant administrator, Serta conducts twiceyearly surprise inspections at each of its facilities, Jacobson says. Englander’s safety consultants conduct monthly walk-throughs or safety audits at its facilities. “They’re bilingual, which is important since a majority of our work force is Hispanic,” Ciolkosz says. “We began conducting emergency evacuation drills. They check fire extinguishers and all safety equipment. They even examine air quality and noise levels and hold regular safety meetings with employees.”
Simmons plants receive OSHA recognition In recent months, six Simmons manufacturing facilities have been recognized by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Association for their workplace safety and health efforts. The company’s plant in Aurora, Colo., achieved OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program Merit status. Facilities in Honolulu; Kansas City, Kan.; and Waycross, Ga., earned placement in OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program, while a plant in Agawam, Mass., earned SHARP recertification. A Simmons facility in Los Angeles received the Golden Gate Partnership Recognition Award for Safety. “Safety is a huge priority at Simmons at every level,” says Steve Fendrich, president and chief operating officer of the Atlanta-based bedding manufacturer. “It is budgeted and planned for and woven into all that we do. There is a direct correlation between our dedication to safety and the overall quality of our product.” “It has been a nine-year journey to get where we are today,” says Jonathan Dawe, Simmons director of human resources for safety, health, wellness and workers’ compensation. Dawe credits the company’s record on safety to a complete overhaul of its safety systems, as well as its widespread involvement in OSHA’s cooperative safety programs: All 18 of its domestic manufacturing plants participate. Facilities in Charlotte, N.C.; Phoenix; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and San Leandro, Calif., have received special OSHA certifications in the past.
28 | BedTimes | May 2009
Create a committee Forming a safety committee at every facility is a cornerstone of safety management. Choose representatives from all departments and levels—but keep the group small enough to be effective— and select an odd number to aid in decision-making. The committee should include employees from the factory floor, an individual with safety training and a management representative. Keep the safety committee’s assignments simple and focused. “For example, if you’ve had a recurrence of a hand injury in the plant, the committee can examine the problem and come up with a solution,” Brazzell says. “Or they can review and revise policies on something like the use of personal protective equipment.” Ongoing training Companies need to put everything in writing and make employees familiar with safety rules during orientation and ongoing training. “We try to inject elements of fun and real-life stories into our ongoing face-to-face training,” Jacobson says. “It includes open dialogue, feedback and a variety of teaching materials.” Many companies break safety training into monthly sessions that are repeated year to year. “We hold monthly safety meetings at each plant covering a different OSHA topic, such as hazardous communication, blood-borne pathogens, Lockout/Tag-out training and many other safety issues,” Schmoeller says. Short topics can be highlighted each week, for instance, at a Monday safety briefing on the plant floor. Review an accident or incident from the previous week at one of your facilities or go over some safety rules. Insurance companies are a good resource for safety training. They may offer videos on a number of topics, as well as provide OSHA training certifications. Insurers also www.sleepproducts.org/bedtimes