We can’t sit still when it comes to safety. Every single day, following Publix’s safety rules helps protect someone from unintentionally getting hurt. It’s up to each of us to always do things the right way — the safe way.

Giving safety a sense of urgency is part of the planfor success at #1122, Orlando, Florida. As with any location, their store regularly looked for ways to improve their safety record — and they were determined to accomplish their goal. They knew when it came to the safety of their associates, meeting this goal couldn’t wait.

“We were ready and wanted everyone to get involved and be a part of this change,” said Assistant Store Manager Colleen Hage.

So they began by making safety a topic in every manager’s meeting and department huddle, and each time they had three or more associates gathered. Each department manager regularly discusses how to prevent and quickly clean spills on the floor and reminds associates to keep a paper towel in their pocket at all times.

“I assigned new associates to the safety team to help gather fresh ideas. And I remind the team we’re all company owners, and it’s our responsibility to speak up if there’s an opportunity for us to change or improve a process,” Colleen said.

The safety team from left is Yanique Worrell, Michael Torres, Jenn Jenkins, Amy Turner, Carlos Villamar and Colleen Hage.

So far, they’ve already seen an improvement. They’ve gone two years in the bakery department with no injuries, and one year in produce and meat. She rewarded the produce and meat associates with a snack and drink of their choice, and bakery associates with a lasagna dinner. They even had a cookout for the whole store to celebrate.

“We’re trying to keep our momentum by continuing to talk about safety,” said Colleen. “We’ve made a lot of progress, but we’re not done yet. Even if we meet every goal, safety will remain a top priority for us.”

And Colleen has a plan to make sure her store stays on track. She discusses every injury with the safety team and talks to each department about ways to prevent injuries from happening in the future.