Having standard operating protocols is immensely important to ensure tasks in any work environment are completed in a way that is safe and efficient. Add in literal tons of supply chain and warehousing machinery, and you can raise the stakes to life or death.
No one is arguing that safety training is important. But it does beg the question when is the right time for it. In many occupational settings, it is traditional to correct mistakes privately. But waiting for a misstep may already be too late. These are the MWCold safety training milestones that allow our workers to keep safety top of mind and learn from one another’s mistakes, not just their own.
Initial Training for New Hires
This one is a no-brainer. Safety should be the first concern when adding a new employee to the floor because productivity will be impacted more by an injured team member on worker’s compensation than training itself. MWCold has a guided schedule with the goal of having new hires fully trained on SOP’s within 12 weeks. Simple guidelines like proper storage of tools deserve an overview. More complex procedures like the maintenance, storage and donning of our top of the line freezer gear call for more time to protect team members against the subzero storage systems they work in.
Annual Safety Reassessments
How long has it been since you took a driving test? A lot of people pick up bad habits over so many years. But much like a nurse who must re-certify each year in order to practice, so too must MWCold powered industrial truck operators pass an annual evaluation. Forklift, pallet jack, low-lift jack and drivers of other PITs must pass to continue. But all team members are asked to take part in annual retraining for standard safety operations as well to meet compliance.
Continual Updates and Reviews
Though these scheduled safety overviews are vitally important, changing circumstances in the warehouse and community require more frequent attention. Before each shift change, MWCold team members meet to discuss updated standard operating procedures due to factors outside the norm like special visitors or malfunctioning equipment. Each week, the team reviews safety topics that were affected the previous week to guard against repeat offenses. Suggestions made by team members, rather than management, during these meetings can make meaningful and logical changes to SOP.
At Every Level of the Organization
One way MWCold is helping everyone stay safe is by making sure all employees are involved in the discussion, training and actions in SOPs. MWCold leadership, supervisors and management hold leadership training once each month, which also include safety trainings such as forklift operations and how to report incidents accurately. More hands-off members of the team are also included in a monthly all hands meeting we call The Blast. This provides an opportunity for whole organization to consider safety incidents from the prior month and brainstorm how to reduce hazards in the future.
This system of safety training, refreshers and collaboration that MWCold has built up over eight decades of service has improved the safety protocols in place and the lives of our workforce. As with most things in business, we have discovered that collaboration is the key to our success.
