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• MAY 31, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal
Focus on Safety May 31, 2019
A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal
Opioid-related deaths, workplace violence among safety threats to workers by Michelle Leach
While many potential hazards exist, such as workplace violence and persistent fatigue, there are significant opportunities to keep one’s workforce productive, happy and healthy. Safety Manager Ross Menard said it took three or four years for Outlook Nebraska to build a very strong safety culture, evidenced by its earning the National Safety Council, Nebraska’s Nebraska Safest Companies Award. Outlook Nebraska has gone more than 2,000 days without a “lost-time incident.” More than three of every four production floor associates are legally blind. “A lost-time incident is going to be a more serious incident, it’s going to be an injury or condition where you need to take some days off of work,” Menard
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said. “We have a strong return to work program and offer various light-duty assignments.” Menard indicated the idea is to make employees “whole again,” which reflects all factors — from lost wages to the emotional “rot” of not being at work. Furthermore, one may initially think of the challenges of securing a safe workforce with machine operators who may be completely blind. “These associates take a lot less risk than their sighted counterparts,” he said. “They don’t go running around a machine, or reach past guarding.” Menard also noted how the executive team has allowed him to be in the plant every day, whereby relationships of trust and respect can be built.
Eric Koeppe, president and chief executive officer of National Safety Council, Nebraska. Words matter. If an associate isn’t wear- due to drowsy driving-related crashes. NSC ing safety gear, Menard will ask employees also noted more than 43% of workers are questions like, “How do you think your sleep-deprived. “At risk” workers include daughter would feel if something happened those with night, long and irregular shifts; to you?” Menard knows employees — their work demands such as rotating shifts overfamilies and what’s important to them. ride natural sleep patterns. Body clocks can’t According to Outlook Nebraska infor- adapt to alternative patterns. mation, cultural features are coupled with Employers lose a reported $1,200 to adaptive technology such as voice $3,100 per employee annually output software and audible alerts due to less productive, fatigued on its walk path gate. workers. Menard said companies visit For the first time in U.S. histoto see how associates work, so ry, NSC reported a person is more they can hire visually impaired likely to die from an opioid overpeople, too; reportedly, seven of dose than a motor vehicle crash (1 every 10 working-age, visually in 96 versus 1 in 103 respectively). impaired people in Nebraska “The opioid crisis is affecting aren’t employed full-time, yearNebraskans — in their personal round. lives as well as at work,” Koeppe The National Safety Council, said, citing a recent NSC poll that Henning Nebraska highlighted opioid abuse showed 75% of employers have and fatigue as among significant issues affect- been affected (only 17% feel prepared to deal ing workplace safety. with it). “We believe the best defense to this “Employees are at a greater risk of an problem is providing ongoing information, incident when fatigued,” said President and including training and workshops to help CEO Eric Koeppe. “An employee who gets employers understand their responsibilities. just two fewer hours of sleep during the night Koeppe’s team is partnering with the Huthan their regular schedule is the equivalent man Resource Association of the Midlands of having three beers, which means they are (HRAM) to host a bi-annual workshop on working or driving impaired.” opioids, “Prescription Drugs in the WorkNSC researchers found a person is three place,” on Oct. 4. times more likely to be in a car crash if he A number of resources at NSC.org assist or she is fatigued, and that more than 5,000 employers on these and other issues; for Continued on page 6. lives were claimed in a single year (2014)
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Focus on Safety — inside MAY 31, 2019
THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS
THIS WEEK 'S ISSUE:
$2.00
VOL. 45 NO. 22
Boyd Jones benefits from master planning for clients by Richard D. Brown
Olive & Ash Pizza Co. offers new take-out and delivery model in northwest Omaha. – Page 2
40 er d Un 40 Vivekanandan excels as mentor for other women in health care at Creighton. – Page 3
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Philanthropy supports flood recovery; infrastructure positioned for long-term growth. – Page 22
The owner and president of Boyd Jones, a 95-year-old Omaha based general contractor, has plenty to be optimistic about. His company's 100-plus employees have relocated to a historic downtown Omaha building, venture capital investments in global construction technology are topping $1.3 billion, two in-house recruiters/retaining specialists will help staff with the anticipated additional positions and the company is expanding its services to include more emphasis on master planning. Jon Crane said the offices of Boyd Jones, in 20,000 square feet of the 100,000-square-foot long-vacant Rail and Commerce Building that his firm renovated and now houses multiple tenants, has been a game-changer for his company. “We've come a long way from our longtime home near 43rd & Nicholas,” Crane said. “It used to be that people couldn't wait to leave at the end of the day but now they're not in a hurry and they tend to linger Continued on page 9.
Owner and President Jon Crane … Emphasizing need for master planning for varied client base. (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville)
McNeil Co. builds upon over 40 years of residential, commercial expertise by Michelle Leach
Leveraging 3D modeling and other technologies with a more than 40-year homebuilding tradition, McNeil Co. is seizing opportunities in a healthy market spanning residential, commercial and multi-family construction — growth that is necessitating four more hires. “We are finding the residential market to be exceptionally strong
at our price point, and the neighborhoods where we have a lot inventory,” said President Joe Pogge. “The last couple of years have been spotty where buyers were interested but not necessarily ready to pull the trigger on new construction. The last eight months we have seen this trend change to where buyers come armed with a deposit, and want to Continued on page 9.
President Brian Goracke … Accounting firm adds creative services, wealth management and coverage divisions to more efficiently serve clientele.
Verdant positions firm to scale with new divisions, employee engagement by Savannah Behrends
President Joe Pogge … Notable commercial projects, keen residential and multi-family markets converge as construction company invests in more people, technologies.
Verdant, an Omaha-based firm that began as Goracke & Associates 68 years ago, is leveraging employee talent to take the company into its next evolution. Third generation President Brian Goracke, who two years ago led the team in a rebranding overhaul that resulted in the name Verdant, heads the firm.
“The problem with being Goracke & Associates is that I was the only Goracke and everyone else was an associate,” he said. The 38-person firm chose Verdant because of it’s unique, crisp sound as well as it definition: green with growing plants. At its core, Verdant started as an accounting firm to help both Continued on page 11.