They think outside the box, and they're always looking for ways to improve. Booth and Pope both recognize a variety of factors that contribute to Rieth-Riley's successful safety program, but they cite employee company ownership and training as the two primary elements. The combination of these two, says Pope, provides the safety formula that works for Rieth-Riley. Company focuses on employee investments Employee ownership is a key component of Rieth-Riley's safety program. Booth stresses that employee safety is one of the company's top priorities, but he also adds that because the company is employee-owned, unsafe work practices also bring financial losses directly to employees.
Employee ownership puts a lot of emphasis on minimizing losses.
Pope adds that this idea is conveyed to Rieth-Riley employees and has become a motivator for maintaining a safe environment. Although this may seem a somewhat unconventional method of promoting safety, it is proving successful, according to Robert Ott, Rieth-Riley's group safety coordinator. In the past, Rieth-Riley experimented with more traditional safety initiatives. For instance, a few years ago, Rieth-Riley tried offering safety incentives. But we found that incentives were hard to administer, and it was also difficult to determine their effectiveness.