Recognizing the risks

Sperber: ValleyCrest always has been committed to safety since day one, more than 60 years ago when we were founded, and that's because we recognized the unique nature and inherent risks of the landscape business. The safety of our employees is of utmost importance to us, which is why it is one of ValleyCrest's core values. We've adjusted and adapted over the years as the industry matured, and we've grown to become the nation's largest landscape services firm. Every employee understands that working unsafely will not be tolerated, which probably helps prevent more serious injuries because everyone is simply more aware of what's needed to work safer.

The unique nature of the landscape services business means we must approach safety with a slightly different philosophy than a company that operates a fixed factory or plant where workers are somewhat contained at one location or in one general area. Our workforce is deployed outdoors on thousands of commercial customer jobsites every day across the country. In a typical day our crews are out on the road in more than 4,200 trucks, pulling nearly 2,150 trailers to jobsites where they'll operate some 7,700 pieces of equipment ranging from mowers, edgers and blowers to loaders, soil compactors and trenchers. That's a lot of moving parts at a multitude of locations, and it requires us to be on our toes every minute.

Obviously, to achieve success we have required considerable attention and dedication from all levels. I am truly proud of our organization of more than 10,000 employees in more than 24 states who all support and uphold a model safety program and follow our safety rules and policies to meet the challenges faced every day. In fact, since 2002, when we recentralized and established our current safety program, we have succeeded in building an industry-leading model that even draws attention from customers who seek to replicate it within their own organizations.

Our teams also practice ongoing field training beyond the required and formal training we do to comply with all federal, state and local regulations. For instance, each morning, our crews gather in the dispatch yard for a quick huddle. If there is a possible storm on the horizon, crew leaders may use the time to discuss wet driving conditions and remind drivers of the recommended safe distances when pulling a trailer on wet roads. We also developed a buddy system, and new crew members must wear a green safety vest for their first 90 days. This makes them more visible in the field and makes our tenured employees more alert to the actions of our newest team members. These are only a few of the simple ways we continue to teach and remind all workers to practice safe work habits.

ValleyCrest's safety training initiatives are aggressive and proactive. They include a new-hire safety orientation, monthly training sessions for all supervisory field management, weekly safety conference calls, safety training compliance, a toll-free safety hotline and weekly tailgate meetings. In addition, the company offers quarterly safety incentives for safe work habits, culminating in an annual truck giveaway for safe workers – over the past seven years we've awarded 37 trucks. And we have continued our safety incentives in light of recent economic turmoil – we have not wavered from rewarding some very deserving individuals for their role in our safety successes.

One of the annual events in our landscape maintenance division that is popular is "Field Day." The organization's management teams, which include top-level executives from all over the country, are out in the field with our crews for a full eight hours – in full uniform – doing the work that has made us the best, but always in the safest manner possible. In the history of the event, we have not recorded a single workers' compensation injury, which we believe stems from continued training and understanding of the only way to do what we do – the right way, which is, of course, the safest.