Creating and maintaining safe workplaces is always a challenging proposition. The pandemic dramatically raised the stakes. To overcome the many challenges that arose weekly, daily, even hourly, required a multi-faceted approach to safety, dedicated teams working around the clock and the willingness to turn on a dime to respond to crisis-level scenarios as they developed.
Addressing safety and risk head-on requires a comprehensive approach. Examples include support for reopening plans and attention to food safety. These are practices that any safety team can implement to improve its safety program and mitigate organizational risk.
EverSafe is a holistic platform that supports the safe reopening and sustainable management of any location. With a focus on optimum hygiene and safe environments, EverSafe is designed to empower employees, students, patients, customers and guests to feel more confident wherever they work, learn, play, explore, recover and rehabilitate.
The goal of World Food Safety Day is to draw attention and inspire action toward preventing, detecting and managing foodborne risks that affect food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development. Celebrating and promoting World Food Safety Day, as Aramark does, is an excellent way to expand awareness of this vital issue and improve food safety.
Many organizations are dealing with the growing challenges posed by food allergies. Because allergic reactions to food can be serious and potentially life-threatening, organizations need to adopt best practices and share knowledge through educational materials, incident investigation protocol and more. A great way to help prevent allergy incidents in the workplace is to participate in an ANSI-accredited food allergy certification course. Look for one that has online options and has a proven track record.
Maintaining a safety mindset on the job can be a challenge. The stakes were raised in 2021 as COVID guidelines constantly shifted with our growing understanding of a novel virus. Employers can deploy programs that help their workers improve safety engagement and overall safety performance.
Employees need to think safety first in all circumstances, so associates can perform their duties with focus and care for themselves, others and the environment. Employers can enable them through supportive measures and educational programs. A safety-first mindset encourages them to make safety a priority for themselves at work and at home.
One way to encourage a higher level of safety among employees is to outfit them with the protective equipment they need to stay safer on the job. For example, in FY21, Aramark outfitted its employees with best-in-class slip-resistant shoes at no cost. Over 80,000 associates received new slip-resistant shoes. This program is reducing incidents of employee slips and falls. Read more about our Shoes for Crews program in this case study.
Educational programs can provide an effective avenue for leveling up workers’ safety knowledge and engagement. You can even make learning fun! Aramark’s safety team created a safety education program that includes two cartoon characters, Fish and Glove. These cartoons are designed to help our global associates learn kitchen safety concepts in a fun, engaging way.
Achieving safety and risk goals is just the first challenge to overcome. The real test is maintaining and continually improving safety and risk standards long-term.
Despite the safety challenges faced in 2021, operations can continue to have an uncompromising commitment to the safety of their employees, partners, communities and planet — particularly through ongoing monitoring and continuous improvement.
Throughout the year, organizations should monitor and measure their safety performance, review their progress and identify any areas for improvement. For example, Aramark’s SAFE system drives the organizational effort toward “Target Zero” — to ensure that no harm comes to people or our environment.
An increasingly critical challenge that businesses face is a talent shortage. During the COVID lockdown, many workers reassessed their work-life balance and decided they wanted jobs that not only provided salary and benefits, but also authentic concern for their wellbeing. Businesses that didn’t already have employees’ needs front and center are finding they must play catch-up if they want to compete for quality workers.
Employees are a business’s most valuable assets. Ensuring workers feel safe at work is critical to overall success. An innovative program from Aramark gives employees a voice..
Through the Good Save program, companies can empower their associates to question any task that causes concern for their personal safety or the safety of others. It offers several ways for workers to report safety issues or unsafe work practices, including anonymous hotlines, safety suggestion boxes and the SAFE mailbox.
Aramark’s Ireland team launched a Good Save system that encourages front-line associates to report unsafe conditions, behaviors, work practices and injury near-misses. Each Good Save submitted is a proactive action to prevent workplace harm.
During the disruption of normal business operations, companies struggled with many issues, including safely sourcing supplies. Companies need a system to lower purchasing risk.
Purchasing safely is critical for a multitude of reasons — from keeping employees safer to protecting the planet. By deploying a sustainability plan and auditing suppliers, companies can overcome many challenges related to safe sourcing
Aramark’s SAFE Policy is a core component of its sustainability plan, Be Well. Do Well . Through the program, the company strives to make a positive impact on people and our planet. Our Global Safety & Risk team plays a key role in supporting our sustainability plan through sourcing supplies safely and responsibly and by purchasing goods and services through approved suppliers, contractors and distributor partners.
Around the world, we conduct audits of our third-party suppliers to make sure their policies, practices and operations are aligned with the sustainability goals and objectives of Be Well. Do Well. Our teams have also taken steps to train and coach some of our smaller local suppliers to improve their operations — so they can better meet our commitments of sourcing safely and responsibly.
The companies we partner with are enjoying the benefits of our comprehensive approach to safety — both during and long after the pandemic ends. Now, we’d like to help your company enjoy a safer workplace for your employees based on our six Global SAFE Principles.
Call our Global Safety Team to set up a time to talk about how we can help solve your safety challenges.
