Look behind the scenes at Riverview Landscaping and you see examples of safety everywhere.

Some are obvious, like bright yellow road cones and safety vests.

Others are less visible, from the extra safety training that crews get on the job to the meticulous records that detail every safety-related incident.

Putting a high priority on landscape safety standards involves extra time and money.

Brad Butler, Riverview Landscaping manager of corporate safety, wouldn’t have it any other way.

He offers an inside look at the company’s unwavering commitment to safety.

Spending Time, Every Day

Much of the cost of safety involves time, Butler says.

“Anyone associated with production, from the shop to operations managers to branch managers to ownership, spends time on safety every day,” Butler says. “My salary as corporate safety manager is minimal compared to the cost of the time that everybody here puts in.”

That time includes the pre-planning before every job to make sure it’s planned with safety in mind, he says, as well as the comprehensive training employees get.

Managers meet regularly to review any safety-related incidents, from a broken window to a physical injury, and come up with a plan to prevent it from happening again.

Meanwhile, Butler keeps a detailed spreadsheet that records every safety-related incident.

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