A Message From CoolSys Chairman and Interim CEO Rick Frier
May 3, 2023
May has just started and spring is in full bloom, but the summer season will be here before we know it. While summer can mean sun, beaches, barbecues and vacations, it should also bring thoughts of something familiar to all of us at CoolSys: Safety.
Safety, of course, is one of our Culture Principles, along with Respect, Empowerment, Collaboration and Accountability. We don’t list safety first because it’s the most important; all of the Culture Principles are equally important. Nevertheless, I want to share my thoughts about safety this month then discuss the remaining principles over the next several months.
Safety First
We’re all familiar with the expression “Safety First.” In fact, we may have heard it so often that it doesn’t resonate as strongly as it should. Still, it’s important to acknowledge how critical safety is to our business, our customers and ourselves, the employees of CoolSys.
The idea of safety means different things in various situations. For our technicians, it is something they must focus on every day, all day, whether they’re driving one of our trucks, using complicated tools or equipment, or climbing onto a roof.
Last year, there were 135 recorded incidents of injuries among CoolSys employees; that’s too many. These injuries resulted in 4,100 days of lost time, a great amount of inconvenience, significant cost to the business, and treatment and recovery for the injured employees; and injured employees is the last thing we want to see. We want our employees to be happy, healthy and safe. As a matter of fact, we have a great recent example to share about safety-you can read about it here.
Embracing a Safety Focus
No matter how safe we are, of course, some injuries will inevitably happen — but they don’t have to happen at the same rate rate as what we experienced in 2022. Our technicians in the field participate in extensive safety training, and our managers must work to support that training for them. We have weekly safety requirements that are readily available to employees, and we are privileged to have an exceptional Environmental Health and Safety team that focuses on strategies and tactics to keep us safe.
It’s also important to acknowledge that, while most CoolSys employees are technicians, safety is a priority for every employee. It doesn’t matter whether you drive a truck, fix a faulty refrigerant line or sit in front of a computer in an office. A safe environment and workplace is a goal and a priority each of us should work toward, every day.