october2021 - 58

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with high-visibility stripes on them, as well
as custom Transervice high-visibility safety
vests for management and administrative
personnel who were required to wear the
vests whenever they visited the shop. This
demonstrated and reinforced management's
commitment to safety.
ÜReorganize for better workflow. If a workflow
plan does not already exist, create one
for the shop that allows technicians to get
where they need to be without having to walk
around a lot of objects. In order to have easier
access to specialized tools and prevent technicians
from having to walk through each
other's work areas, we relocated the specialized
tools that were housed in an outbuilding
to the main shop area.
» When it comes to changing the culture, it is important to have buy-in from the technicians.
Transervice
Six steps to
achieve zero
shop accidents
Steps taken by a Puerto
Rican maintenance facility to
improve its safety metrics.
No matter the fleet, there is always room
for improvement. And there are steps any fleet
can take to heighten the focus on shop safety.
In 2018, Transervice assumed the responsibility
for the truck maintenance and repair
operations for Vaqueria Tres Monjitas (VTM),
the second largest dairy operation in Puerto
Rico. VTM operates 400 pieces of equipment,
which are serviced by more than a dozen technicians.
The Transervice team was impressed
with the dedication and efforts of the workforce,
but noticed areas that needed improvement
from a safety standpoint.
VTM operates out of a main location near
San Juan, with three remote locations as well.
Those are serviced on a rotating basis with a
mobile maintenance unit and the required
technicians-diesel and refrigerated technicians,
depending on the service needs-
dispatched from the main location as needed.
Here is a brief look at
the steps the
Transervice team took to move VTM from a
good shop to a great shop, eventually achieving
the distinction of having no workplace accidents
over a 12-month period.
ÜPerform a complete site assessment. The
first thing we did was to conduct a walkthrough
of the shop noting areas that represented
the biggest safety hazards. One area
of concern was the in-ground pits that
served a purpose at one point; however,
they were not protected by curbs, chains, or
safety markings. Although the team in place
had effectively worked around the pits, we
saw them as a potential trip and fall hazard
that also limited the shops' capabilities. The
pits were ultimately eliminated, allowing for
better shop utilization and flexibility.
By Gino Fontana
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, CTP
Gino Fontana, CTP, is Chief Operating Officer and
Executive Vice President at Transervice Logistics Inc.
Previously, he was Vice President of Operations Berkeley
Division & Puerto Rico. His expertise emphasizes cost
savings, process efficiency and improvement, superior
quality, and people management skills. He has more than
35 years of experience in the transportation and logistics
industry with both operational and sales experience.
ÜImprove overall appearance. With the
elimination of the pits, and as part of the
shop reorganization, the Transervice team
performed a thorough cleaning and painting
of the entire shop, adding safety markings to
help create safer walkways. Improving the
overall appearance of the shop with something
as simple as fresh paint can go a long
way in helping technicians take pride in their
workspace. They will work hard to keep it
clean, tidy, and safe. In addition, the team
updated and upgraded technician uniforms
58 Fleet Maintenance | October 2021
ÜEliminate hazards. Compressors and all the
air lines in the shop were replaced/relocated
so that ports were brought much closer
to where they were needed. The shop was
replumed with a different compressor and
airlines were relocated much closer to the
bays. Upgraded waist-high stainless steel
stands and tables were installed so technicians
did not have to bend over to pick heavy
objects off the ground, risking an injury.
ÜFocus on shifting culture. When it comes to
changing culture, it is important to get buy-in
from your technicians. The law of thirds tells
us that anytime you try to change things,
one-third of the people will jump in and
get onboard with the change, one-third will
say they are never going to change, and the
remaining third will do whatever the majority
does. When we assumed management of
the shop, we hired much of the existing crew,
but also added staff. Part of the hiring process
was to assess job candidates' commitment to
safety. We wanted to hire team members who
would commit to waving the safety banner.
ÜContinually reinforce safety. We hold safety
meetings regularly to continue to promote
the importance of safety throughout the
shop. At VTM, we gave the technicians very
specific examples of things we wanted them
to do. As an example, eye protection was not
part of the norm. We instituted a mandatory
policy for eye protection. In 2020, one
of the gifts we gave the technicians was a
headband that said, " Safety Vision is 20-20, "
to remind them of the importance of safety.
The result: The main facility-which services
427 pieces of equipment annually, operating 20
hours a day-was accident-free in 2020.
Transervice continues to emphasize safety in
a number of different ways. One way is through
its Toolbox Talks, which allow management to
communicate with the team about safety-related
concerns. It also holds an annual technician
appreciation event which includes a new safety
message for the year and a gift for each of the
technicians which contains the safety message
for that year. But perhaps more importantly,
the leadership team continues to " walk the
talk " by enforcing the wearing of high-visibility
safety vests for themselves and all visitors
to the shop.

october2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of october2021