This spring, representatives from our distribution centers (DCs) across the U.S. and Canada came together in Henderson, Nevada, for the 2023 Safety School. Attendees spent two days developing their safety skills and knowledge, with a robust schedule covering everything from conflict resolution and approaching employees about safety, to developing a safety culture and identifying and addressing trends.
The Safety School program has been conducted at Levi Strauss & Co. every year for the past 23 years in partnership with Workers United and plays a key part in ensuring a safe work environment for DC employees. Select representatives from the bargaining unit, as well as at least one management employee from each U.S. and Canada DC are invited to attend the two-day program. Attendees then train others on what they learned upon returning to their facility.
The goal of the program is to develop safety leaders at each of our facilities who will work to drive safe practices that help us reduce the frequency and severity of work-related injuries.
“There is nothing more important than keeping our employees safe,” said John Prendergast, LS&Co.’s vice president of LSA distribution. “Safety School creates a forum for our safety leaders to share best practices, track results and align on projects.”
“As the organizer of the Safety School, I am proud of the commitment and dedication shown by both our company and the union in promoting workplace safety and developing our employees into future leaders,” said Pablo Landaverde, health and safety manager. “By equipping our employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to prevent workplace injuries and accidents, we are fostering a culture of safety that will benefit our company in the long run.”
Sixteen employees from our Canton, Hebron, Henderson and Rexdale DCs participated in this year’s Safety School, including Crystal Marshall, who represented our Rexdale DC and shared how helpful the program was for her development as a safety leader.
“Safety school was a great opportunity for me to learn about a wide range of topics in a short period of time,” said Crystal. “It also gave me the chance to learn how the different facilities operate and how each facility has its own set of safety concerns.”
Employees also participated in an escape room as a team building activity, allowing them to use their newly honed skills around teamwork, observation and problem solving in a fun way.
Although Safety School may have concluded, the work to ensure workplace safety continues.
“We are always looking for new ways to ensure our facilities and work environments are as safe as possible,” said Pablo. “We look forward to future collaborations aimed at promoting workplace safety and developing our employees into future leaders.”
