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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,”
28 | BedTimes | May 2009
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 m o n t h s, sIx sIm m o n s m A n u f A c t u r I n g 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.
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
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