But we found that incentives were hard to administer, and it was also difficult to determine their effectiveness. As a result, management and safety personnel reorganized the safety program to emphasize employee investment and safe practice. Today, Rieth-Riley employees are frequently made aware of the financial implications of unsafe practices. Each month, management dispenses information relative to lost time and incidents. The system appears to be working.
Booth reports strong company safety statistics.
Perhaps more than statistics, however, the new safety focus is leading employees to keep safety on their minds. Beyond employee ownership, proper training is the fuel that drives Rieth-Riley's program. Training, which takes place at each of the 13 branches, is provided by Rieth-Riley safety directors and outside agencies and organizations, if necessary. The company believes that a key part of proper training is good communication. That theory starts with management and flows down through crew members.