Category Archives: Safety

ECS – Verona Celebrates One Year Injury-Free

At Elite Comfort Solutions in Verona, Mississippi, safety isn’t just a policy – it’s a core part of the culture. Recently, the team proudly celebrated an outstanding milestone: 365 days without a recordable injury.

ECS Verona credits their success to several key efforts, including strong housekeeping practices, routine safety walks, and a culture of accountability where everyone looks out for one another. Team members actively engage in identifying and reporting near-misses, which are reviewed and analyzed to prevent potential incidents.

“We were happy but cautious when we hit the milestone,” said Brandy Abbott, Regional EHS Manager. “Everyone is excited, but we know staying vigilant is key.”

Employees watching a video during a monthly OSHA training and the ECS – Verona plant floor.

Leaders play a vital role in maintaining diligence and safety success. From recognizing safe behavior on the floor to modeling safe practices, supervisors and managers have created an environment where safety is a shared responsibility.

“A standout example of employee engagement was when a supervisor coached a new forklift driver, reinforcing best practices and building confidence through one-on-one mentoring,” said Brandy.

This safety milestone reflects Verona’s commitment to creating a workplace where team members feel safe, supported, and empowered to prioritize wellbeing.

Congratulations, Verona, on this incredible accomplishment!

PHC India: Prioritizing Safety, Celebrating Commitment

Precision Hydraulic Cylinders in Chennai, India, recently hosted National Safety Day, and this year, participation soared to 78%, up from 47% in 2021, thanks to the commitment of our people!

With engaging new initiatives like a PPE fashion show, hazard spot identification, and a firefighting competition, employees take safety to heart while having fun. Participants were also recognized with rewards for their involvement and enthusiasm.

This growing engagement reflects how we’re putting people first and making safety not just a priority, but a core part of our culture.

Thanks to everyone at PCH – Chennai!

Max Thorpe Attends Michigan Safety Conference

When it comes to safety, staying informed of best practices, trends, and the latest science can save lives.

Max

Our colleague Max Thorpe, Regional EHS Manager, recently attended the Michigan Safety Conference to learn from other safety professionals and strengthen safety practices at L&P. We talked to him about what he learned and why prioritizing safety is important to him.

What did you learn at the conference?

I attended presentations around sustainability, machine guarding, respirations, near miss reporting, PFAS (aka forever chemicals) remediation, and more.

I learned a ton about respirators. In my work area, we currently do not require them, but this conference helped me understand respirator requirements and how to determine what respirators are required for specific jobs.

How will you apply what you learned at L&P?

In safety speak, a “near miss” is an event that could have resulted in someone being hurt or damaged property but didn’t due to quick remediation or some other factor.

I am going to implement some changes to improve the quality and quantity of near miss reporting. I plan to implement a ‘Near Miss Hall of Fame,’ which will be a tool that helps the production team highlight their recording of near misses.

Why is prioritizing safety important to you?

Every day, I want my teams to go home to their loved ones. I believe that people have a right to work in a safe environment and should not have to take risks that impact their lives.

Thank you, Max, for putting people first by prioritizing safety!

Celebrating a Million-Mile Safety Milestone

At Leggett & Platt Flooring Products in Statesville, North Carolina, safety isn’t just a goal – it’s a way of life. We’re proud to recognize three outstanding drivers – John “Marty” Watters, James “Wesley” Braswell, and Reggie Dunlap – for each reaching a major milestone: driving one million miles with zero accidents.

Reggie, Marty, and Wesley

This remarkable achievement speaks to their skill, commitment, and vigilance on the road every single day. To honor their accomplishment, the team presented them with custom leather jackets and certificates, signifying a job well done.

Each driver reflected on what this milestone meant to them. For Marty Watters, it’s about legacy: “Achieving over one million miles safely gives me the feeling that I’m doing my job just like my dad. He always told me to work hard, do a good job, and be safe. He would be proud.”

Wesley Braswell shared that safe driving is about constant awareness. “It’s keeping a constant scan of your surroundings to be better prepared for the unexpected.” Reggie Dunlap added, “You have to be patient as a truck driver. I believe the regular safety trainings that we receive help us to remember to be focused while on the road. I’m proud of reaching one million miles safely.”

Human Resources and Safety Manager, Portia Knox, and Traffic Manager, Roxanne Butler, echoed these sentiments: “Attaining one million safe miles shows that they are reliable and focused. The quarterly training they receive from Corporate Logistics keeps them updated and knowledgeable of the road rules they adhere to while driving. They always do their jobs with excellence.”

These accomplishments remind us why we prioritize safety at every level of our organization. Putting people first means supporting the wellbeing of our team – whether they’re behind the wheel, on the production floor, or in the office.

Congratulations, Reggie, Marty, and Wesley. Your dedication keeps us all moving forward, safely!

Celebrating Safety at L&P

June is National Safety Month!

At L&P, we strive to reduce workplace injuries every day through education, awareness, and prevention. Our teams accomplish this through our internal health and safety management system – SafeGuard – and its Toolbox Talks.

SafeGuard helps minimize workplace injuries through education, including lessons from past accident investigations, training on safe work instructions, and safety walk-throughs. Our production teams benefit from SafeGuard’s Toolbox Talks – weekly trainings that cover topics like workplace hazards, first aid, and habits for staying healthy and well.

As we spotlight safety this month, we want to say thank you to our teams for prioritizing safety and caring for one another. We are grateful for their commitment and hard work towards helping us maintain a safe and healthy work environment!

Specitubes – Nanterre Celebrates Safety Milestone

June is National Safety Month. At L&P, we are committed to the safety and welfare of all employees through education, awareness, and prevention. We promote a culture where employees protect employees every day and strive for zero injuries.

Our L&P Aerospace team at Specitubes in Nanterre, France, recently achieved a significant safety milestone – 365 days without generating an accident with sick leave! The team celebrated this accomplishment with a party to recognize their collective effort.

Congratulations to our team in Nanterre for living out our value of putting people first and prioritizing the safety and care of each other!

Making Safety a Habit

While June is Safety Month, prioritizing safety and caring for one another is a daily goal at L&P. Our teams make safety a habit, staying up to date on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and looking for ways to enhance safety around their facilities.

Recently, our Hanes Companies, Flooring Products, Home Furniture, and Work Furniture businesses came together for an OSHA 30-hour certification class. Many of our colleagues in environmental health and safety (EHS), HR, supervisor, maintenance, and production roles shared best practices and networked with one another to help advance safety across L&P. The event was sponsored by Flooring Products and hosted by Hanes Companies.

“We spent the week educating our partners on OSHA regulations and how SafeGuard – our L&P safety program – can be used to not only comply with OSHA but also drive us towards making safety a habit,” shared Tim Williams, EHS Manager. “We were fortunate to spend the last day of the class on the shop floor, applying what we learned by identifying opportunities for improvement.”

Thank you to our teams for putting people first!

L&P Global Initiative: Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) Training

Leggett & Platt is committed to employee safety and well-being. Part of that commitment is preparing our team members to act in emergencies. L&P has been on an ongoing mission to equip each facility with an AED machine and train our team members to use the devices.

Since the inception of our global initiative in 2023, we have made progress in equipping each of our facilities with AED devices. At the start, we had 56 AED machines across our branches worldwide. Today, this number has grown to 175, which is a testament to our collective commitment to safety.

The success of this initiative is thanks to our operations, which recognized the importance of AEDs. In emergency situations, the first few minutes are critical. For every minute defibrillation is delayed, the chance of survival reduces by approximately 10 percent. Having an AED and knowing how to use it can mean the difference between life and death. Statistics show that if AEDs are used alongside Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), the probability of survival increases to 75 percent.

“This global initiative aims to protect our employees and train our partners to use these devices anywhere, which could fundamentally save lives, including in our local communities,” says William Wright, Manager, EHS Europe.

Dave Bumpus, Senior Director of EHS, agrees: “This initiative is representative of our values—to put people first, do great work together, do the right thing, take ownership, and raise the bar.”

AED and CPR/Safety Training

Our employees have been working hard to learn how to use AEDs safely and effectively and administer CPR. We want to share pictures from our teams globally.

L&P Brasil

Guadalajara, Mexico

Precision Hydraulic Cylinders (PHC), India

Shanghai, China

LPGS, China

L&P Jiaxing

Chieng Yeng, China

Pacoma Ningbo, China

Corporate Headquarters, US

We are so proud of our teams for putting people first!

Safety & Belonging at L&P

At L&P, safety – both physical and psychological – is a top priority.

We’re committed to creating safe workplaces, and we’re very proud of our teams around the world for putting people first. They prioritize safety, care for one another, and create an inclusive environment of mutual respect, empathy, and belonging.

This month on L&P social, we’re excited to share content and stories related to safety and belonging with you!

Celebrating Safety with ECS Employee of the Month Program

Our teams at the California locations of Elite Comfort Solutions (ECS) promote and celebrate safety with an Elite Safety Employee of the Month program.

Employees can nominate their peers who they recognize as safety leaders and who are making a difference at their branches. The managers from the facilities vote for a nominee, and the employee with the highest vote is named the Elite Safety Employee of the Month.

Angel Lagunas, Machine Operator at ECS Commerce, in Commerce, CA, is named Safety Employee of the Month.

“This program is helping employees across the ECS California network to understand the significance of a positive safety culture,” says Hugo Alvarez, Senior EHS Manager. “Recognizing the safety actions of the workforce promotes an autonomous safety culture and sets the example of what safety leaders look like.”

Each Safety Employee of the Month is recognized at a celebration luncheon at their branch, where the employee is given a certificate, a token of appreciation, and the entire branch is presented with a trophy that includes the names of past and present Safety Employees of the Month.

For the first time, the ECS California network plans to have a year-end celebration where they will invite the 2023 winners and name a Safety Employee of the Year.

Congratulations to ECS California and their commitment to prioritizing the safety and care of each other. You are living out our value of putting people first!