Several years ago, my wife, Janis, and I attended a party in Dallas for the well-known chef and restaurateur Paula Deen, and we even were sat next to her during dinner. She and Janis had a delightful time chatting about grandchildren. (Picture below is Janis in front of Paula's restaurant in Georgia.)
So, when I called Jeff Cobb, Operations Team Lead, in Savannah, Ga., (Paula's hometown) last week, I jokingly asked if he happened to know Paula. "Funny you should ask," he said. "When I started working at Frito-Lay 22 years ago, Paula Deen catered the lunches we had at our team meetings. She was just getting started back then, and I remember how delicious the food was and how Paula was always bubbly, friendly and focused on building a business. Today, I own all her cookbooks and visit her restaurant in Savannah when I get the chance. Her food is my favorite country cooking,” Jeff told me.
As entertaining as Paula is, I really called Jeff to discuss something more serious: Frito-Lay’s Savannah Distribution Center, where Jeff is a team lead, recently achieved 22 years of consecutive operations without an accident -- and I wanted to find out the secret to the site’s success.
"We live by the motto, Safety First, and execute three key programs to make it a reality," Jeff said (pictured right, at far right, with teammates Thor Wayman, Matt Moore, Aaron Hickman).
"First, each week, we review with employees an ergonomics checklist, which includes the proper procedures for lifting and performing other physical tasks. As a part of our ergonomics routine, we start each morning with stretching exercises to prepare us to load cases into trucks,” Jeff explained.
"Also, twice a month we review a checklist for ‘Behavior Based Safety’ -- the proper way to execute activities in the warehouse. The checklist covers tasks like how to properly operate a forklift, how to walk on wet surfaces, and when to wear safety glasses.
"Finally, our ‘Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper’ program ties it all together with the underlying theme: When it comes to safety, we need to help each other to be successful. We're always watching how people are working in the warehouse, and it's our job to raise awareness when someone is not performing a task the right way and ensure the behavior is corrected.”
Jeff also credits Tracy Hicks, Safety Coordinator for the Southeast Region (which Savannah is part of), for the excellent safety record. Tracy distributes weekly safety tips, hosts monthly safety conference calls and publishes regular scorecards to keep the whole Southeast Region team focused on working safely.
The activities that support safety seem a bit repetitive to me, but Jeff told me that repetition and commitment is key to keeping safety top of mind for the team. He starts each day by walking through the Distribution Center, looking for and fixing any potential safety issues. And with all that exercise, he is also working up a healthy appetite for some of that great Savannah country cooking.
Congratulations to Tracy, Jeff and everyone at the Savannah Distribution Center for 22 years of accident-free Operations!
That really is an amazing accomplishment. As you know I recently visited one of the Dallas plants, and the commitment to safety was very evident there as well.
By the way, I have all of Paula Deen's cookbooks too!
Posted by: Diane Fit to the Finish | November 06, 2009 at 07:40 PM