“Education is of no value and talent is worthless, unless you have an unwavering aim. Never find yourself without a compass.”
–Condoleezza Rice
The success of Ritsema Associates’ dynamic safety program has not come about by mere coincidence, nor by mediocre efforts, but by an unwavering aim and a dedicated march toward an absolute goal of achieving an injury free workplace. Our strong safety record is our compass, which lets us know where we are at, and more importantly, where we are going.  The President of Ritsema Associates is committed to leading this march, and is followed by a culture of safety excellence that is ever so prevalent among all of our employees.
Our drive to achieving an injury free workplace is fueled by our commitment to each employee and their family, that we will do our absolute best, to ensure every employee returns home safely each day. This commitment has also lowered our Workers Compensation and medical costs, MIOSHA citations and fines, and has improved our reputation with our customers who also demand safety excellence, which has allowed us to be even more competitive in today’s market.
Highlights of Ritsema Associates program of safety excellence includes:
- A full time company Safety Director
- Pre-employment screening for drugs, alcohol, and certain criminal offenses
- Safety orientations and training for all new employees
- Training and certifications
- Safety equipment
- Toolbox Talks weekly training
- OSHA 10 hour certification for all Foremen
- Monetary Safety Incentives
- Safety inspections
- Newsletters and status reports
- Progressive disciplinary program
- A 3 year EMR average of .55 (this is an insurance rating where anything below 1.0 is considered above average)
- Achieved more than 1.5 million hours worked without a lost time injury
- ABC STEP award GOLD 2006
- ABC STEP award PLATINUM 2007, 2008, 2009
- ABC safety award of excellence 2007, 2008
Our futures are only built through our people, and it is obvious, we aim to protect them!