How to Promote Landscaper Safety

Keeping your operators safe on the job is always a top priority, and that starts with the foundations set by leadership. We outline some things to consider when building your program to promote landscaper safety.

John Janes | Landscaping Marketing Manager

Providing a safe environment for your employees, regardless of what tasks and conditions they may face on the job, is always important. If you’re looking to develop or revamp your safety program, where do you start? Keep these things in mind to promote landscaper safety.

Landscaper Safety Starts at the Top

A truly effective workplace safety program starts with leadership. Make sure that you are embodying the safety culture you’re promoting to your employees. Demonstrate the type of conduct and safety protocols you expect from employees, and you’ll also help keep the people who report to you accountable.

Ask for Employee Input

Your employees are your greatest resource when it comes to promoting landscaper safety at your business. They are the ones most familiar with the potential safety hazards they regularly face, and using their direct feedback can help you better tailor your workplace safety program to fit their real-world working conditions.

Have Regular Check-Ins

Part of asking for employee input involves having regular check-ins with your team. Meeting with employees at the end of the day to discuss what worked and what could’ve been done better, as well as having regular seminars regarding safety, can help everyone stay accountable and feel comfortable coming forward to report safety issues if they arise. Our Toolbox Talks resources are a great starting point for engaging your employees and having those conversations.

Keep Employees Accountable

A landscaper safety program is only effective if you have buy-in from everyone in the company. Make sure you set expectations for employees from the get-go and clearly outline the roles in an activity. Then make sure they have the tools to execute what you’re asking for and that you have a way to measure success and give feedback.

Keep the System Flexible

To keep your workplace safety program operating smoothly, it needs to remain flexible enough so that different protocols can be applied in different situations. This will help make sure you have employee buy-in and allow the program to operate more effectively.

Be Consistent

Once you’ve created your landscaper safety program, consistency is key to making sure it works. You must continue to follow safety practices and be proactive about getting employee feedback in order to see success.

Creating a successful safety program for your landscaping company can go a long way toward creating a better work environment for your employees. For further help with developing your safety protocol, make sure to review the OHSA Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs. You can also visit the Safety section of the NALP site for helpful tips and tricks from other landscape professionals and industry pros.

OSHA Safety and Health Recommendations

Review recommended practices for further help developing your safety protocol.

View Recommendations

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John Janes

Landscaping Marketing Manager

John Janes has been bringing his diversified expertise to sales and marketing initiatives at Caterpillar for more than a decade. Not only does he hold an LIC certification from the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), CSP and ASM certifications from the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA), but Janes also serves as an American Concrete Institute (ACI)-certified concrete flatwork technician.

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