Creating A Safer Workplace Together: Interview with Glenroy, Inc.

A safe workplace is predicated on trust, engagement, and knowledge. But how does a program, made up of various safety solutions, earn those three key factors? Recently, we sat down with a long-time partner of Briotix Heath, Glenroy, Inc., to discuss the inception and development of their program, and their recent recognition by the Wisconsin Safety Council with the Corporate Safety Award.

We were joined by Tyler Canapa and Matthew Howard from Glenroy, Inc, and Melissa Fish, Senior Manager – Ergonomics, from Briotix Health.

Good morning! Thanks for joining me and the team today to talk about the program. And congratulations on the award.

Briotix Health and Glenroy have been partnered for some time now, could you tell us a little bit more about how that program first began?

Tyler: Thanks for having us! I originally learned about Briotix when I attended Briotix Health safety talks at several regional Safety Councils. The injury prevention strategies that were covered sounded like exactly what we were looking for. Myself, and several of our key stakeholders, knew this was something that would really benefit the company, but more importantly our employees. We were combatting some musculoskeletal disorders across our workforce and while there were other wellness programs in place at the time, they weren’t directly addressing those root causes of our injuries. It took a little time, but with leadership on board we were able to start making those necessary improvements.

So the program is in place, and you’re starting to implement these new injury prevention and care solutions. In those early days, what were your main goals?

Tyler: Early intervention and prevention. In those years, before we partnered with Briotix, we’d had several employees who required surgery after a shoulder or elbow issue. Those were the most common kinds of strains or sprains we were seeing due to the nature of the work on the manufacturing floor. We’ve been with Briotix for 8 years now, and the program has certainly evolved over time, but in those initial days, prevention and intervention were our key goals.

And, when you were working with leadership to assess the success of the program what where those key indicators that “yeah, this is working, let’s keep it going.”? Was there a secret number for success or was it a general goal?

Tyler: From what I was seeing, the key early on was definitely a reduction in claims and injuries. But, as the program has matured, that keys shifted. With program maturity, engagement from employees has actually come out as that number one avenue to success. Recently, we worked with some of your providers to start implementing office sweeps, getting even more employees involved. 

Matthew H.: The employee awareness was really a key motivator for future success. Things like the ErgoWalk and some of the other education programs have been successful in keeping employees engaged and hitting those proactive solutions.

Speaking of solutions, were there any that were particularly successful, or really surprising to you?

Tyler: Melissa may be able to speak on this a little more, but we were able to get our Quality team to modify some of our procedures because the old sampling process was causing a lot of strains for the people doing it. The results stayed the same but the new sampling process was much safer overall.

Melissa: Yes, so these employees were working with materials that required them to use some fine motor movements over and over. The consistent pinching and gripping was causing discomfort and we were able to assess and quantify the risk and report exactly how the employees were affected. Changes to the procedures reduced the risk and employee exposure.

So, with these solutions in place now, what does the average day look like for this program? What kind of daily routines or regular check-ins are you seeing?

Tyler: For the providers who are on-site, you see them out and about on the floor practically every day. Primarily, we are seeing them on the manufacturing floor, conducting sweeps, and checking in with the employees. All while they’re not doing one-on-ones, of course. There are sign-ups for employees to get a one-on-one whenever they are needed.

Matthew H.: Since we have implemented the program the real change that we’ve seen has been from chasing injuries to preventing them, that proactive approach. The leadership buy-in has of course been a massive help and has helped improve the program significantly, just making tests more accepted and available.

You were recently awarded the Wisconsin Safety Council Corporate Safety Award. How did that process begin and how was Briotix Health involved?

Tyler.: Ever since Briotix partnered with us there was a dramatic drop-off in those safety metrics that were visible. Claims, costs, injuries… applying was a two-step process. We were confident that the OSHA logs we submitted that showed the program's success were more than enough to get us through the door. I know I had considered submitting for the past few years but we made it a priority this year. Once the OSHA logs showed that success, we submitted a short piece about our company and then a 10-page brief about the program and what made it really unique. It was a massive team effort, with stakeholders from across the program contributing their help.

What aspects made this a unique submission in your opinion?

Melissa: I’ll actually jump in here! From the Briotix Health perspective, Glenroy has always had a culture that was wholly its own. The commitment to safety and accountability that they brought to the table changed the program for the better and helped it evolve to where it is today.

Matthew H.: That’s right. Making employees a part of the solution, engaging them directly, hosting events specifically focused on safety, and feedback were vital. Our culture is massive to us here and that focus on safety was essential. We also incorporate behavior-based safety programs, with shift leads doing one shift every single week where they observe employees, and rather than just filing a report, shared feedback, positive and constructive, to the employees themselves. That positive feedback was so important because it reinforced the behaviors that kept employees safe. The family-based, proactive, engaging culture is so essential to us, and it’s just another factor that helps us address injuries before they occur.

Thanks for chatting with me today! Hopefully, we can learn more about the program when you win next time around!

Matthew H.: We can only get the award every two years, but we certainly hope to get the recognition in 2025!

____________________________________

Briotix Health prides itself on a history of long-standing partnerships. Integrating our award-wining solutions into your work environment is made easier with the success and feedback from existing partners. We send our heartfelt congratulations to the amazing safety team at Glenroy, Inc., and cannot wait to see where they go from here!

If you are interested in expanding your ergonomic programs, and making injury prevention proactive instead of reactive, reach out to a Solutions Advisor below!