Town of Woodstock embraces the “I Work Safe” campaign

Late last year the National Safety Council launched the “What I Live For” campaign to recognize National Safety Month. Capitalizing on this idea, VML Insurance Programs (VMLIP) launched a similar campaign last fall.

The VMLIP campaign featured safety services staff giving the personal reasons they choose to work safe, as well as sharing a safety tip or link. We encouraged members to participate in our campaign – and the Town of Woodstock took it one step further.

“Our Safety Committee noticed VMLIP’s participation in this campaign and recognized that it is engaging because safety is personal,” said Assistant Town Manager Angela Clem. “Employees take pride in their work and are dedicated to the organization. However, they also work for their families and remaining safe means that they can go home to them. Over fifty percent of our employees voluntarily participated in this initiative and that meant they were able to share fun personal photos.”

The town’s safety committee worked with representatives from each department to share the idea and gather support for the campaign. From a town staff of 51 employees, 27 participated in the campaign, sharing photographs, stories and safety tips.

“I Work Safe Because…” messages included:

  • I want to share Gulf Coast sunsets with my family,” Assistant Town Manager Angela Clem, Town of Woodstock.
  • I want to see my daughter grow up and watch her start her own family with her kids,” Maintenance Tech Kris Ashwood, Woodstock Public Works, Parks Division
  • I want to be able to see more pretty days,” Assistant Chief Operator Daniel Bailey, Water Treatment Plant
  • It results in a cheaper and more effective insurance policy for not only my workplace, but for my family and friends who depend on me,” Streets & Parks Supervisor Michael George, Parks & Pool
  • I want to protect myself from germs and other harmful diseases,” WWTP Operator Richard “Doc” Lambert, Wastewater Treatment Plant
  • I want to continue to enjoy doing things outdoors after work,” Maintenance Tech R.W. Bowman, Woodstock Public Works, Streets Division
  • I have a wife and twins who would miss me greatly if I didn’t come home,” Officer J. Wilberger, Woodstock Police Department.

Each reason for working safe was followed by something that they do in order to work safe, such as:

  • Wearing a bulletproof vest for every shift;
  • Always wearing eye and hearing protection;
  • Wearing safety vests and hardhats – as well as inspecting them regularly;
  • Ensuring staff are certified to run various types of equipment;
  • Practicing safe and fundamental laboratory chemical analysis; and more.

The fliers were printed and hung at various workstations throughout the town so that the personal messages – and important safety messages – could be seen.

Safety tips shared on the fliers addressed numerous risks faced by all workers and those specific to certain job types.

They included:

  • For wearing safety vests: Employees exposed to public vehicular traffic must be provided with and must wear warning vests or other suitable garments marked with or made of reflectorized or highly visible material, per OSHA guidelines. – Assistant Town Manager Angela Clem
  • For keeping office space clutter free: Boxes, files and various items piled in walkways can create a tripping hazard. – Accounting Clerk Tiffany Cummins
  • For wearing a seatbelt in a town vehicle or personal vehicle: Using seatbelts cuts the risk of death by 45 percent for people riding in cars and by as much as 60 percent for those traveling in trucks or SUV’s. – Deputy Treasurer Missy Hollar
  • For wearing personal eye protection when running the weed eater: Everyday, approximately 2,000 U.S. workers have eye injuries that are job-related and require medical attention. (Source, NIOSH) – Assistant Chief Operator Ed Presley, WWTP

Response to the program was more than Clem could have imagined.

“We have really improved our risk management efforts in the past few years, such as the formation and efforts of our Safety Committee, providing expanded training opportunities, and the creation of fun initiatives like this one,” said Clem. “Employees who participated received a surprise gift card. Although participation is not about rewards, the goal is to bring awareness to the personal nature of a safe work environment and to create an organizational culture that expects safe actions.”

For more information on starting your own campaign, talk to your VMLIP safety specialist by calling (800) 963-6800.