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Tracey Pitsenberger is the HR and safety officer at PrintingForLess.com, an e-commerce print shop that has grown into a $20 million business. Located in Livingston , Mont. , the company emphasizes a holistic approach to workforce management that includes strong communication, ownership of workplace processes, and stellar benefits including an in-house day care center and THE opportunity for employees to bring their dogs to work.
Workplace HR & Safety : How does your safety function stay in line with management expectations?
Tracey Pitsenberger : For us, the key is simply to have strong communications and hold team members accountable. We have several ways we communicate to employees, including daily department meetings, company-wide announcements, and a quarterly newsletter that is sent to all employees.
We keep our safety initiative in line with management expectations by holding our managers accountable and involving them in decisions. Managers stay involved with employees, by acquainting each new employee with the nature of their work, specific safety features and requirements, general safe work expectations for the department, in addition to introducing the new person to other employees. On-the-job training, with an experienced employee includes orientating employees with their job function, as well as identifying hazards and how to avoid them.
PrintingForLess.com management is committed to providing each employee with the following safety-related benefits:
The following is a good example of how we engage employees in workplace safety. Prior to building our new facility, we launched a safety-related blog and asked our employees what they wanted to see in our new building. We implemented several suggestions from our employees, including a humidification system to help promote a healthy environment, radiant-heated concrete throughout the facility, a fire proof wall and state of the art fire suppression system, an air exchange system, and natural lighting throughout the building. By listening to our employees needs, we are now able to promote a healthy and safe work environment. Plus, we are able to give employees a sense of ownership, which helps to increase engagement.”
WP: Please describe your safety program.
TP: We at PrintingForLess.com are dedicated to working as a team to provide and promote a safe and healthy work environment. The PrintingForLess.com Safety and Health Program is aimed at integrating safety measures into each job responsibility, so that safety and job performance are autonomous with one another. This will be accomplished by instilling a “beyond compliance” approach to safety and health issues. Through this approach, we will attempt not simply to comply with federal and state health and safety standards, but our goal will be to exceed these standards.
Each team member is critical to the success of our efforts to protect health and safety. We all have the responsibility of following the health and safety practices and procedures established in this manual and to report any workplace hazards, injuries or illnesses to management.
In order to meet our health and safety goals PrintingForLess.com will require each person's individual commitment and awareness of employee safety, health and well being in all of PrintingForLess.com activities and programs.
WP