UniFirst Distribution Center Takes Top TRSA Safety Honor

UniFirst’s Owensboro, KY, distribution center is the Gold level honoree of the 2024 SafeTRSA Safety Excellence Award. The 400-team-partner staff, building on their history of state and federal recognition, has been hailed for moving forward with an “unwavering commitment” to continuous improvement. The 360,000-square-foot distribution and fulfillment space is one of the area’s largest employers.

UniFirst will be among the TRSA member companies honored April 10 in Washington, DC. The Industry Awards Dinner, part of the 14th Annual Legislative Conference, will feature presentations of nine other accolades to linen, uniform and facility services and Supplier Partner members.

In Kentucky, the Owensboro team has received the Governor’s Health and Safety Award three times, most recently in 2023, following its achievement of working 1,164,849 man-hours without a lost time incident. Conducted in March, the presentation by the state Education and Labor Cabinet featured representatives from Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) office.

Said Lynn Whitehouse, the acting director of the cabinet’s KYSafe program, “This is a major accomplishment. We only give out about 30 awards annually, so this was a well-deserved recognition.”

The facility also participates in OSHA’s Voluntary Partnership Program (VPP) and has become one of only 20 sites in Kentucky to earn VPP certification. Exemplary safety achievements include:

• Establishing an on-site wellness center
• Conducting monthly safety audits
• Carrying out comprehensive safety reviews for each job function
• Instituting an emergency response team
• Integrating daily safety activities during shift kickoffs, including stretching exercises

The TRSA award recognizes companies and facilities a step ahead of all types of businesses in the quest to eliminate all incidents – completing projects and demonstrating achievements quantified as exceptional. Nominations present evidence of increased workplace safety conscientiousness.

This year’s Silver level TRSA award winners (with some of their safety program attributes):

ImageFIRST, King of Prussia, PA

• Since 2016, vehicle backup cameras; post-2019, lane departure/crash intervention; post-2020, adaptive cruise control
• 2023: dual-facing dash cameras using artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor safe driving habits – a 24/7 monitoring, enhanced visibility in and around vehicles, documentation secured in a cloud-based system
• Annual Safe Driving Awards celebrate accident/incident-free records
• ImageFIRST University online training: bloodborne pathogens, active shooter, CPR
• “5 Whys” of Six Sigma identifies driver incident root causes, prevents recurrence, guides future training

Novo Health Services, Atlanta, GA

• Zero injury goal: injury rate 50% less injuries than many peers
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety compliance ratings below industry average. Track recordable incidents monthly; 2023 results lowest in company history, tracking to be half the industry average
• OSHA National Emphasis on heat stress relief (spot cooling fans, Gatorade, freeze pops, evaporative headbands, heat breaks)
• Dedicated software for audits, inspections, self-assessments
• Facility safety cameras installed in 2023

Superior Linen Service, Inc., Eastern Division, Springdale, AR

• Over 10 years of no-lost-time accidents
• Behavior-Based Safety program: When employees report issues or safety concerns, they’re corrected immediately.
• Bi-weekly meeting for all management: anything reported unsafe or issue requiring action is addressed.
• Safety Committee: employees from different departments within plant; no supervisors. Employees bring concerns, then get with department leaders
• Committee reviews and learns Job-Hazard Analysis, near misses; safety committee recorder gets with the GM for anything that needs to be purchased

Honorable mentions: HandCraft Services, Richmond, VA; Healthcare Linen Services Group (Linen King), Ooltewah, TN; and Virginia Linen Service, Petersburg, VA

Hosted this year by Washington’s Madison Hotel, the TRSA Legislative Conference is the industry’s premier event for demonstrating its public impacts. Attendees will visit congressional offices April 11 to testify to the industry’s cleanliness, sustainability and safety records, and impact on jobs and local economies.

Attendees will prepare for these Capitol Hill visits on the afternoon of April 10, which will feature the keynote address by Bob Cusack, editor in chief, The Hill Newspaper. TRSA committee meetings will be conducted that day as well. A Supplier Partner Workshop takes place the day before the conference kicks off (April 9). Click here to register.