Prioritizing Safety: How Fres-co is Building a Culture of Workplace Safety

Workplace safety is much more than a series of accident prevention procedures—it should be a mindset that shapes how team members approach work. At Fres-co, we believe that safety isn’t just a compliance requirement. It’s a core value embedded in our company culture and an essential component of our operational excellence.

Every day, our employees work with specialized machinery, chemicals, and industrial processes to create the high-quality flexible packaging our customers depend on. These environments present inherent challenges that require constant vigilance and systematic safeguards. Rather than viewing safety as a set of regulations to follow, we’ve built a multifaceted program that empowers every team member to participate actively in creating and maintaining a safer workplace.

In celebration of National Safety Month, we’re sharing the key initiatives that demonstrate our commitment to maintaining high safety standards in the flexible packaging industry.

1. Employee-Driven Near-Miss Reporting System

At the heart of Fres-co’s safety protocol is our near-miss reporting system, which places safety directly in the hands of our employees. This hazard recognition program empowers team members to submit reports about potential workplace hazards before incidents occur. Whether it’s mislabeled chemicals, exposed machine parts, or simple trip hazards, our employees are our first line of defense.

The strength of our system lies in its accessibility and accountability. Employees can choose to submit reports with their names attached or anonymously, ensuring everyone feels comfortable raising safety concerns. Managers and supervisors meet to review open reports, focusing intently on resolving identified hazards. We’ve established a company-wide goal of near-miss submissions per employee annually, which helps maintain vigilance without creating reporting fatigue.
To encourage participation, we’ve implemented recognition programs including monthly prize drawings for active participants. This approach has created a positive feedback loop where safety awareness becomes second nature.

2. Safety Training Programs

At Fres-co, safety education begins on day one and continues throughout an employee’s career. New hire orientation provides foundational safety knowledge, while job-specific training addresses unique hazards associated with different roles, equipment, and chemicals across our facilities.

In addition, department training sessions occur monthly, featuring interactive presentations on critical workplace safety topics like machine guarding, lockout/tagout procedures, personal protective equipment, chemical safety, and more. Our in-house safety team continuously refreshes the material, incorporating real-world examples and engaging videos to maintain attention and reinforce essential safety concepts.

These structured sessions are complemented with frequent toolbox talks and self-paced online training courses and resources. These materials help employees develop the skills to recognize potential hazards and take appropriate action before submitting formal reports. This comprehensive approach normalizes safety discussions and creates an environment where addressing concerns becomes standard practice.

3. Cross-Departmental Safety Committee

Fres-co’s safety committee brings together representatives from every corner of our operations, creating a collaborative approach to workplace protection. Members include staff from production floors, administrative offices, and every specialized department in between.

By meeting monthly to review incidents and near-misses, the committee provides valuable cross-functional perspectives that might otherwise remain undiscovered. We’ve found that some of the most valuable insights come when employees from outside a particular department offer fresh eyes on longstanding practices. This diverse representation ensures our safety considerations reflect the needs of all operational areas while fostering a sense of shared responsibility.

4. Systematic Safety Audits and Behavioral Observations

Safety prevention requires attention and care, which is why each department undergoes weekly and monthly safety inspections conducted by department supervisors, managers and employees. These comprehensive inspections follow detailed safety checklists customized to each operational area.

Employees examine equipment functionality, including critical life safety systems like fire suppression systems, emergency exits and eyewash stations, while identifying and addressing potential hazards before they can cause problems. Department leaders take ownership, creating accountability at every level of the organization.

Leadership also plays a critical role in shaping organizational culture and influencing employee behavior through our new “behavioral based safety” initiative. This proactive approach works to reduce hazards, risks, and incidents by having leaders walk the facility to observe behaviors, reinforce safe behavior, and correct and analyze the underlying causes of unsafe acts.

Training on this concept is underway and the principles are being incorporated into our day-to-day work with the purpose of preventing human error.

Together, these practices help our company improve engagement, better understand why injuries happen, and the importance of both a systematic and behavioral approach to building a strong effective safety culture.

5. Annual Safety Fair: A Company-Wide Celebration of Safety

Each June, coinciding with National Safety Month, we host an annual safety fair that temporarily pauses production operations to focus entirely on safety awareness.

The fair features “micro-training” stations where employees engage with safety concepts through hands-on activities rather than passive listening. Many stations are led by fellow employees who volunteer to develop and present material, creating peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

For specialized topics, we bring in third-party experts to provide additional depth and perspective. Each employee receives a safety passport to track their participation across all stations, encouraging complete engagement with the day’s activities.

Beyond education, the fair incorporates games, prizes, safety trivia, and food, transforming safety training into an enjoyable experience to connect. Perhaps most importantly, the event builds relationships between departments that might rarely interact during normal operations, strengthening our overall company culture.

Your Safety Partner in Flexible Packaging

At Fres-co, our commitment to safety extends beyond our walls and into every product we create. When safety becomes ingrained in company culture, it naturally influences every aspect of operations—from how we maintain our equipment to how we approach quality control in our packaging solutions.

Our proactive safety culture not only protects our team members but also ensures we deliver the highest quality flexible packaging solutions to our customers. When you partner with Fres-co, you’re choosing a company that approaches every aspect of its business with the same care and attention we bring to workplace safety.

Ready to partner with a company that prioritizes safety at every level? Contact us today to learn more about our safety-first approach.

For more than 40 years, Fres-co System USA, Inc. has manufactured high-performance flexible packaging systems and invented dozens of innovative breakthroughs including degassing valves, modified atmosphere technologies, and reclosure systems.

Topics: Flexible Packaging, Workplace Safety

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