Safety

We are fortunate to have a company that recognizes the importance of a strong safety program.  We have been able to build a culture that embraces employee safety as a core value.  Our safety program is built on a foundation of support from all levels of the organization.  Working safely is an expectation for all employees and visitors at our facilities.

Celebrating Success

The Swiss Colony, Inc. has been honored with achieving the Wisconsin Corporate Safety Award for excellence in health and safety for three consecutive years in the large employer category. The Wisconsin Council of Safety evaluates safety programs based on corporate culture, leadership, participation, employee involvement, training, and accident rates/statistics.

“A solid safety program is a must for Wisconsin businesses to stay competitive.  The Swiss Colony makes safety a top priority and sets the standards for best industry practices. Its innovative safety program is a model for the rest of the state and nation.” - Bryan Roessler, Director - Wisconsin Council of Safety

Achievements

We strive for continuous improvement with our safety program.  We have been able to significantly reduce the frequency of accidents throughout our organization.  We evaluate our safety performance each year and set new aggressive goals.  Here is a sample of our achievements:

  1. Bakery Achieves 1 Million Hours without a lost-time accident
  2. Corporate Maintenance Department celebrates 17 years without a lost-time accident
  3. Mailing Department completes 13 years without a lost-time accident
  4. Cheese Operations continues to add to their 8 years without a lost-time accident
  5. Madison Fulfillment Department achieves 100,000 hours without a lost-time accident
  6. Savanna Production completes an entire season without a single accident/incident

Core Programs

OSHA Compliance Programs

The company has developed comprehensive safety programs to comply with OSHA requirements.  These programs include a policy, training guides, and a comprehensive audit tool to ensure compliance.  We use these programs as a framework for our training efforts. 

Capital Expenditures

We invest in safety through the development of a comprehensive capital expenditure plan.  The Safety Department works with each department to develop a listing of potential safety improvements each year.  These items are prioritized and implemented based on the allocated safety budget.  Each year we make significant safety improvements to our operations.

Employee Involvement

All employees are encouraged to participate in our safety program through our safety committees or suggestion programs.  The commitment to safety is reinforced during our annual Safety Awareness week held every year in November.  This week is dedicated to building awareness and educating our employees.  This program continues to help us focus on safety during our critical peak employment period.

Employee Training

We educate our workforce and give employees the training they need through our University of Swiss Colony training program.  This unique program offers supervisors/managers the opportunity to learn about new tools available to help them with their safety program.  We strive to create new and innovative ways to capture the keys to safety success.  Some of our course offerings include:

  1. Hazard Identification – Recognizing and Resolving Safety Hazards
  2. Accident Investigation – Identifying Root Causes of Accidents
  3. Safety Audits – Developing Audit Tools to Help Identify Safety Concerns
  4. Violence in the Workplace – Outlining Basic Risk Factors and Best Practices
  5. Safety Orientations – Identifying Key Components to an Effective Safety Orientation
  6. OSHA Compliance – Refresher Courses for Compliance Standards
  7. Accountability – Information Regarding our Safety Accountability Program

Safety Committees

The company has established numerous safety committees so all management groups are visible to safety challenges, corporate projects, and goals/objectives.  We utilize an executive Safety Planning Committee to assist with the annual planning process and the development of our goals and objectives.  We also have a Safety Action Committee comprised of managers and supervisors representing their department or function.  Each department also has a committee to implement the programs developed at the corporate level. 

  1. Safety Planning Committee – Executive Team (Corporate Level)
  2. Safety Action Committee – Managers/Supervisors (Corporate Level)
  3. Department Safety Committees – Employees/Leads/Supervisors (Department Level)
  4. Specific Task Teams – Developed for Specific Safety Concerns (Department Level)

Safety Accountability

Goals are established for each department throughout the company.  Individuals are measured based on their ability to meet key objectives.  The accountability program ties their annual bonus to their safety goals and objectives.  The following information is evaluated as part of the program:

  1. OSHA Recordable Incidence Rate
  2. Score on Facility Compliance Audits
  3. Development and Implementation of Department Action Plan
  4. Department Involvement
  5. Safety Training Completed
  6. Workers’ Compensation Cost Containment
  7. Accident Reduction/Case Management