September 09, 2024 | Charmaine Skoubo

The team at Parker Water and Sanitation District (PWSD) has demonstrated their strong commitment to loss control, risk management, and life safety through their continuous trainings, inspections, and other risk management practices. From the first time you step foot in their organization, it is apparent that their team takes safety and risk management seriously. From this dedication, they have been awarded the CSD Pool’s 2024 Safest District of the Year.

The district invited the CSD Pool’s safety consultant, Kyle Brown, to present the news at a recently scheduled safety meeting with all their employees, resulting in a joyous applause. “We were very excited to hear the news that we would be receiving this award,” Amy Schramm, Human Resources Manager at PWSD, says. “It is a huge recognition of the positive safety culture that we have here, how much we care about the safety of everyone at the district and in our community, and the effort we put into our safety program.”

Established in 1962, Parker Water and Sanitation District is a water and wastewater utility in Parker, Colorado, in the southeastern Denver Metro area. With a staff of 110, PWSD currently serves a population of approximately 75,000 and anticipates serving 150,000 by 2040. Their vision is to sustain life for their community by providing a growing population with secure, long-term, and high-quality water and wastewater service.

“Our vision statement motivates us as an organization to ensure that we incorporate safety throughout our operations because we know the importance of what we do for our community,” Brad Johnson, Safety Coordinator at PWSD, comments. “Our safety policy includes a statement that: ‘production is not so urgent that we cannot take time to do our work safely.’ This is an important part of our risk management process because it reminds us that working safely helps to ensure that we can continue to provide important services as a water and sanitation district in the future.”

PWSD has grown their safety program through rigorous policy development, extensive trainings, including ergonomic assessments, and a focus on creating internal engagement. Through the creation of their Safety Advisory Council, they maintain and grow a collaborative safety culture that works for all departments and keeps all employees and managers “bought-in” and engaged with safety.

The district has also implemented a “Close Call Reporting Program,” utilizing Vector EHS to track near misses and catch issues before they result in a loss. They have also encouraged other districts to be health and safety leaders, such as when they invited four other districts to attend an on-site CDOT flagger training that was being conducted by the CSD Pool.

Even with this list of accomplishments, the team at Parker Water and Sanitation is always seeking ways to improve. They continue to grow by championing the use of CSD Pool’s safety and loss prevention resources, such as OnSolve’s emergency notification platform and Vector’s Learning Management System, where every employee is required to complete an online course in emergency response.

“CSD Pool’s Safety [and Loss Prevention] staff has helped on numerous occasions by providing materials, guidance, and staff training,” Brad comments. “They also provided ergonomic assessments for our employees after we moved into our new headquarters building which came with individualized recommendations for employees based on their workspace setup.”

PWSD makes it a priority that employees are trained on safety policies and procedures, how to perform their routine tasks, and how to respond to unexpected situations so that they can come to work every day feeling knowledgeable and confident in the work that they are performing.

“It is also part of our Strategic Plan to empower employees by providing training and certification opportunities and encouraging employees to ask for any additional training or materials that they need to do their work,” Brad says.

It’s clear that PWSD values the safety of their staff in more ways than one. A bookshelf in the office dedicated to “Why We Work Safe” holds pictures of family, friends, pets, and things their employees enjoy, standing as a touching personal reminder to the importance of why they stay safe at work.

The staff at PWSD continue to look for improvements and use innovations as the district grows. They also continue to expand their relationships by sharing their successes and resources with others in their network and community.

Brad says about upcoming plans, “We are improving our New Hire Safety Training program to include a more systematic checklist of required training for each department [and] role and an employee advisor to help guide the new hire through the safety training.”

Risk management can be a challenging field to master, but PWSD has found a formula that works for their organization and likes to share that information with other special districts at every opportunity.

“Identify small risks [and] hazards through incident trends, close calls, facility inspections, and employee reports or conversations,” Brad says. “Then work together with your stakeholders to find a solution and fix it.”

This approach underscores the importance of addressing seemingly minor issues before they escalate into significant problems. He suggests that by paying close attention to the smaller, everyday risks—those that might easily be overlooked—districts can create a ripple effect that strengthens the entire safety program.

“Starting with small fixes will help build momentum in the safety program and demonstrate the path for reducing risks and accidents of all sizes,” he adds, highlighting how these early successes can build confidence among the team and establish a culture of continuous improvement.

Brad also emphasizes the value of communication in this process. By openly sharing victories, even those that seem modest, districts can reinforce the positive behaviors and practices that contribute to a safer working environment.

“It’s also important to talk about all the successes that you have in reducing risk so that everyone can see the steps that are being taken,” Brad says.

Amy Schramm attributes some of their success to Brad’s dedication in his position, stating, “Adding Brad Johnson, who has knowledge of OSHA regulations and is a Certified Safety Professional, has been key to our success this past year. Although we are not OSHA regulated, we have used their regulations as guidelines for safety procedures and methods.”

Schramm's acknowledgment highlights the strategic advantage of leveraging established safety standards, even when not legally required to do so. This proactive adoption of OSHA guidelines has provided PWSD with a solid framework that ensures their procedures are both thorough and effective.

“Having dedicated safety staff focused on how to improve our safety culture has helped provide staff training,” she says, emphasizing their approach is about fostering a culture where safety is integral to every action taken by the staff.

PWSD’s focus is not just about enforcing rules but about engaging with employees in a way that respects their expertise and input. This means emphasizing a collaborative style to build trust and ensure that safety measures are practical and tailored to the real-world challenges faced by the employees.

Schramm concludes by stating that Brad’s philosophy on having employee buy-in provides engagement and builds a positive safety culture, illustrating how a bottom-up approach to safety management can lead to meaningful, lasting improvements in workplace safety.

“His approach when engaging with employees has been to understand their job and what it takes to get things done before implementing new safety protocols,” she explains.

Parker Water and Sanitation District's recognition as the Safest District of the Year is a testament to their unwavering commitment to safety and risk management. Their proactive approach, from the establishment of a Safety Advisory Council to the implementation of a Close Call Reporting Program, reflects a deep-seated dedication to the well-being of both their employees and the community they serve. By fostering a culture where safety is paramount, the team not only protects their staff but also ensures the continued provision of essential services.

Their collaborative efforts, ongoing training, and willingness to share knowledge with others underscore their role as leaders in the field. As they continue to innovate and improve, Parker Water and Sanitation District sets a powerful example for other districts, proving that a strong safety culture is not just a goal, but a continuous journey of growth and excellence.