Safe Zone

Think Before You Rush
"It's the peak season for landscapers right now," says Andrew "Andy" Mauschbaugh, assistant vice president, loss control, for Edwardsville, Ill.-based Hortica, a company that provides insurance products and financial services to the horticultural industry. "That means go, go, go and sometimes shortcuts are taken that hamper landscaper safety."

Mauschbaugh sees claims ranging from back injuries due to improper lifting to cut fingers from engaged mower blades. "Time is certainly money, but so are the costs of an accident such as workers' compensation, job time or job loss."

Barbara Mulhern , safety specialist for Herndon, Va.-based Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), agrees that while most landscape companies are attuned to safety, it can be forgotten in the rush to get a job done. "For example, someone might neglect to reattach a safety guard on a piece of equipment after it has been removed," Mulhern says. "Someone else might use their foot to try to remove some brush that is clogging a mower blade."

Short and Sweet
Mauschbaugh and Mulhern see the best safety records coming from companies where top management embraces safety.

Every spring, Ralph Grathoff, a partner at Thornapple Landscapes in Geneva, Ill., holds a safety orientation and safety-manual review. But he goes one step further with weekly "tailgate" meetings for his crews. "Through our tailgates, the safety message sinks in," Grathoff says. "We keep the meetings short, maybe 10 minutes, and pick one topic so we don't overload our crews with information. One week might cover recognizing heat stroke, the next, safe lifting." Ninety-five percent of his workforce speaks Spanish. "All my safety materials are in Spanish. I give my presentations in Spanish and have two supervisors who are also bilingual." (See Communicating Safety to Spanish Workers).

Ensuring Safety
Mulhern suggests landscape managers verbally review equipment operating directions with their crews. " Often a landscaper can tell if workers understand the directions by reading their faces," she says. She recommends a sign-off sheet for workers indicating that they have read and understand (or had explained to them) equipment instructions. "Allow employees to take ownership of safety," Mulhern says. "Try appointing supervisors and crew members to a safety committee, or have them take turns presenting short tailgate training sessions."

Sometimes workers dislike wearing safety gear. They find it unnecessary or unattractive. Grathoff has found a solution. "We ask our workers what they like, be it goggles, earmuffs or headgear," he says. "We make purchasing decisions based on their preferences. It has really helped alleviate problems." As part of a total safety program, Grathoff also recognizes good safety records at an annual dinner for employees.

There are several good resources offering safety materials. Grathoff takes advantage of manuals and weekly safety faxes from the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association. PLANET offers its STARS(Safety Training Achieves Remarkable Success) Safe Company Program, a free program offering best safety practices. PLANET members receive a monthly Occupational Safety & Health Administration compliance newsletter, access to a safety hotline and English/Spanish training materials.

In the end, embracing safety just makes good sense. A landscaping company comes out ahead maintaining healthy crews, lower costs and a growing business.