Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President of the Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

When it comes to measuring safety, most green industry (i.e., lawn, landscape, and tree care) businesses rely on OSHA rates, the experience modification, and, if you’re a Rancho Mesa customer, your Safety KPI Dashboard. This data is important; however, it only captures lagging information. Take your safety program to the next level by measuring predictive, preventive, and proactive - leading indicators.

The SafetyOne™ mobile application provides your green industry business with the ability to capture your leading indicator goals at the yard or on the jobsite. 

OSHA published a document on leading indicators along with resources on hazards and solutions for the landscape and horticultural services industry. In the article, OSHA suggest using SMART principles when setting up your program. SMART stands for specific, measurable, accountable, reasonable, and timely.

Examples of Leading Indicators

Attendance at safety meetings - Are your employees attending regular toolbox talks, formal safety meetings, and getting proper safety onboarding? How do you know? Keeping a current record of safety activities allows management to know when safety is a priority or when it’s been neglected. Using data collected in the SafetyOne mobile app, management knows in real-time when a crew did or did not complete a scheduled toolbox talk or safety meeting by the end of the shift. This is a leading indicator that safety is either a priority or it is not and it is time to address the issue before there is an accident.   

Industry Known Hazards

• Heat Stress – Training, Checklist

• Vehicle Accidents – Training, Driving Requirements

• Slips, Trips, Falls – Job Hazard Analysis

• Lifting – Training, Mobility and Stretch

• Cuts and hand injuries - Training

• Chemical – SDS, Training

• PPE – Training, Checklist

• Electrical – Dig alert, Checklist

Review your companies own loss history and extend your indicators to reach your company’s assets and liabilities

• Equipment theft

• Third-party slip and falls

• Vehicle accidents at fault/not at fault

• Third party property damage

• Equipment damage

By using the SMART principles when developing your leading indicators, you can clearly define your goals. Making the indicators measurable allows your team to take the information and make calculated and informed decisions.

To learn more about the leading indicators or the SafetyOne™ mobile app, contact me at (619) 937-0200 or drewgarcia@ranchomesa.com.