Safety
Our commitment to ensuring the safety of everyone in the PDA community
Promoting health & safety across the PDA chain
PDA’s emphasis on creating and maintaining a healthy and safe work environment demonstrates our dedication to our employees, customers, and others in the community. High standards in all health and safety areas are a critical aspect of operating productively and, as a result, helping us to compete effectively. Taking it a step further, our products and services enable our customers, and their customers, to provide healthy and safe work and living environments.
Our accident prevention standards begin with careful planning and a commitment to not cut corners. We also align all of our standards with the regulations established by the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). An overall organizational commitment to safety means that our management and employees have been trained to anticipate the worst scenarios so that they are equipped to handle any crisis. Beyond this, we have metrics to monitor and celebrate successes in our company-wide safety standards.
Our Safety Philosophy
At the cornerstone of our safety philosophy is pervasive awareness, collaboration, and careful planning. Our employees are expected to follow all safety protocols, all of the time. We’re fortunate in that our employees also value safety and ensure that the work conditions around themselves are safe each and every day. Central to our safety philosophy is:
- Continual monitoring and maintenance of our safety standards
- Knowledge and awareness of the safety standards that are relevant in our industry
- Commitment to using only safe products
- Commitment to providing our employees and staff with the safety equipment they need, and a safe environment to carry out their daily objectives
- Open communication with each member of PDA to ensure that everyone feels safe, and has an outlet for reporting any potential danger
- Metrics and goal setting to track our success and learn from our mistakes
- Elimination of any potential risks
- Ongoing training for our staff to equip them with the knowledge they need to work safely
A breakdown of safety protocols
All of our distribution centers have safety signs to ensure that our facilities have the visuals that are vital to communicating warnings and other safety information. This includes biohazard and hazardous materials, electrical safety, tripping hazards, first aid, emergency exits, machine and equipment, personal protection, and more. Our staff is also trained to immediately recognize the meaning of all safety signs.
Whether it is data and information, or product protection, our facilities are protected from internal and external burglary, theft, and pilferage. We protect our distribution centers and other areas of our facilities with security cameras, password protected and locked areas, and alarms. We also carefully screen and monitor anyone who comes into contact with delicate information or materials.
Our facilities feature a range of different floor matts and coatings depending on the facility demographics and needs. Examples include slip resistance, chemical resistance, waterproofing, anti-vibration, insolation, and anti-static. Our primary objective is to make sure that our staff and facility visitors are safe when walking through our facilities.
All ladder and step areas are marked with safety signs. Any area that has a break of elevation that is hazardous is effectively controlled with a ladder or step. All step areas are free from obstructions and possible tripping hazards and have proper handles and railings. Our employees are also versed on load weight restrictions for ladders, spotting possible obstructions on stairs and ladders, and other important safety information for their facility’s ladders and steps.
Whether it is driving a forklift in a facility or transporting products on a truck outside of the facility, our employees are protected with injury prevention protocols. A few protocols include: forklift speed limits, securing dock plates, visual warnings near dock edges, training and evaluation for operators, safety procedures for picking up and stacking loads, regular vehicle maintenance, and ergonomic protocols.
We go beyond compliance with regard to fire safety by installing the latest technology in sprinkler systems, having easy access to fire extinguishers, and providing educational resources to our facility staff on fire hazards, prevention, and management. All of our facilities also provide easy to access escape routes in the event of a fire.
We prioritize the health of our staff by creating measures that protect against fumes and gases, heat and cold strains, and ergonomic issues. We also provide adequate time for objectives to be completed to prevent fatigue and other health issues that result from inadequate time constraints.
