On May 2, the team at our Florence packaging & kitting operation celebrated two years accident-free. The facility has remained accident-free since joining the Millwood family in 2022. They celebrated as a team on May 16.
Plant Manager Matt Rissman, who oversees both Florence facilities, credited this success with the culture the team has been able to build over the past two years.
“What we as a group are really proud of is the culture we’ve been able to establish within the plant where safety is viewed as everyone’s responsibility,” he said. “All team members contribute from housekeeping, to pointing out faults that need to be corrected and helping hold one another accountable.”
The team takes care to remain aligned in their efforts to achieve the best results.
“Any successful team has everyone pulling in the same direction, and that’s what we feel we’ve accomplished and will continue to pursue at the Florence 2 plant,” Matt said.
The team’s advice for others hoping to reach a similar milestone is to start with communication.
“We share open and honest feedback during our weekly safety meetings and talk about how the given topic directly relates to our facility and duties we’re performing,” Matt said. “We consistently stress how everyone has to participate and be an active contributor to our safety culture.”
Matt also said that while correcting unsafe behaviors is important, pointing out when things are done well can be helpful to influence positive workplace safety behaviors.
"It’s also great to ‘catch’ someone in the act of doing something safe. It’s important to compliment those behaviors and encourage more of the same,” he said.
Millwood’s mission is that all who come in contact with our company would clearly see the love of Christ in all that we do, and that mission starts with our team members. That’s why safety will always remain our number one priority. Thank you to the Florence packaging & kitting team for focusing on maintaining a safe work environment.