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M A T T E R S Volume 19, Issue 5

T H E M A G I D S A F E T Y R E P O R T

Magid’s Vending Program Saves Associated Foods Time & Money

Companies like Associated Foods, a grocery pick-and-pack fulfillment

center with over 750 employees, need to have complete control over their safety program in order for it to work successfully. When the opportunity came along to put Magid’s vending program in place, Damon Fischio and other key decision makers at Associated Foods did not hesitate.

“We tried vending with another company but the pricing and flexibility just wasn’t there,” explains Fischio. “The timing was perfect because our Magid rep just happened to stop in. When we mentioned our need for a new vending program, he jumped at the opportunity to tell us about Magid’s program. We were sold—everything sounded just right for us.”

Associated Foods purchased the vending machines and even though Magid consistently offers the best prices, the company is free to stock the vending machines with whatever products work best for them. There are three vending machines at the facility and they are fully stocked three times a week and monitored by Fischio himself.

“It is very much in our control now,” Fischio says. “As a company, we can easily manage the vending machines and our entire personal protective equipment (PPE) program. We have been using this program through Magid since May of 2014, and we are close to reaching our ROI. Based solely on savings, we have made our money back on all three machines. That’s huge!”

How It WorksTo start, Associated Foods worked with Magid to determine which departments needed which types of PPE. Magid analyzed the styles the company was using and helped them find more effective PPE for their needs with fewer SKUs. The first product Associated Foods chose for the vending machines was the GPD590 glove from Magid because of its durability and cut protection. From there, Fischio and Magid worked together to decide which other products should be included.

“Our vending machines have many options for our employees,” Fischio says. “This gives them the freedom to choose the gloves that work best for them and their job, but we

know the PPE is durable because we have already approved it. What works for one person might not work for another, so this gives them the flexibility to choose.”

Before the Magid vending program, each department was assigned PPE as needed and it was difficult for the company to manage inventory—often having too much or not enough of a specific product. One person was managing all the PPE for the 1.2 million square foot facility with 750 employees.

“That just wasn’t working for us,” Fischio explains. “We needed something that was still in our complete control, but wasn’t so time consuming and expensive. Turning to an automated system like Magid’s vending

Associated Foods uses vending machines from Magid to supply its employees with the proper PPE for their jobs.

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Photos courtesy of Associated Foods

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A Severe Injury Leads to a Valuable LessonWhile severe injuries are not common at Associated Foods, they do happen. The most recent of these was when an employee crushed his foot between a piece of heavy equipment and a wall.

Fischio explains: “After the initial investigation, it was determined that a rule was not being followed, which directly contributed to the accident. We took this opportunity to communicate the

rules and review safety precautions with the entire team.”

The accident was a wake-up call for the team at Associated Foods and served as a valuable lesson to stay on top of safety.

“This incident helped us realize the importance of ongoing training and the need to hold regular safety classes to give friendly reminders to our employees and

staff,” says Fischio. “While we know that no one would intentionally put themselves or others at risk, it is easy to cut corners after you’ve been at a job for a long time. That’s why we are here—to make sure they stay on top of safety at all times.”

This unfortunate incident also helped Fischio and his team to cast a wider net within the plant and improve injury prevention.

program was the perfect solution to make it easier on everyone.”

To get their PPE, Associated Foods employees scan their badge on the vending machines and to log into the system.

“This way, we are able to track everything they get from the vending machines,” says Fischio. “From there, we can look at specifics of which products each department is using on a regular basis. We can make sure they are using the right PPE and monitor if they are using too much. This will tell us if we need to look for a different product for that application.”

Through the vending machine program, Associated Foods is able to hold a certain amount of stock within the facility, but are not charged for it until it is in the vending machine.

“That way, we always have the appropriate amount of PPE on-hand and we are not relying on a third party to get it to us quickly,” adds Fischio. “We have that product right here if we need it. It goes back to the whole idea of control—our costs are being controlled and we control the amount of PPE we stock.”

Prevention is KeyMuscle strains are very common for employees at Associated Foods. In an effort to reduce these injuries, the company holds training sessions to teach proper lifting techniques.

“We try to prevent injuries from happening by giving proper instruction,” says Fischio,

“but sometimes injuries do happen. We also work with a physical therapy office and when an employee strains a muscle, they will work with trainers to learn exercises they can do on their own to ensure a speedy recovery.”

One area of injury that Associated Foods has nearly eliminated is cuts and abrasions. Fischio credits this large improvement to Magid’s GPD590 glove.

“In the general merchandise department, we require our employees to wear the GPD590 on both hands which has drastically minimized cuts,” adds Fischio. “It is important to provide the best safety

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Associated Foods has nearly eliminated cuts and abrasions thanks to Magid’s GPD590 glove. Employees experience the flexibility and dexterity of the glove.

“Without a safety partner like Magid, it may have taken us years to get to the point in safety that we are at now.”—Damon Fischio, Associated Foods

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Dal-Tile Uses Online Catalog to Improve SafetyIn today’s ever-changing world, technology is everywhere. Together with

Magid, Dal-Tile is using technology to its advantage, providing access to standardized personal protective equipment (PPE) to all of its employees throughout its 300+ locations via a customized online store. For Dal-Tile, a manufacturer of ceramic and porcelain tile with sales business units throughout the United States and Canada, assuring that every store has the right PPE for each application can be quite a challenge. Magid created an online store specifically for Dal-Tile employees with pre-selected PPE targeted to each specific location and application. Employees can easily select and order the appropriate PPE required for each job and have it delivered directly to their location.

“We have worked with our Magid safety specialist to come up with PPE approved by our company for each application,” says safety and health specialist Jason Ballard. “If any location needs anything at any time, they have it right there served on a silver platter. There is no room for excuses—and the system is user-friendly, so everyone can have access to the PPE they need to do their jobs. Magid has helped us design this online store so all of our locations have access to the same PPE and it is presented in an easy, no-hassle way.”

Magid and Dal-Tile have worked together to model this online storefront to meet the specific needs for each location of the company. Every employee is able to log in based on their location and can use the online store to get the specific PPE required for their job.

“It helps us control what each location is using and wearing,” says safety and health specialist Travis Fernandez. “The departments can’t just go out and order whatever they want—we make sure it’s the right products for the job and there is minimal variation from location to location.”

There Are Always ChallengesAlthough having an online store is an easy way to provide thousands of employees with approved PPE, challenges still arise.

“It is not always easy to find a glove, glasses or other PPE that everyone is satisfied with,” explains Fernandez. “We have over 300 locations and each one is different. One glove that may work for one person might not work for someone else. We send out samples to all locations and we try to make sure we fit the needs of all employees. First and foremost, we want to make sure it is the safest option out there for them. When the feedback comes back to us, we know what works best for each location and we can go from there.”

Ballard adds: “This year, we added a T-REX® glove to the website—a glove we had never offered before. We are in the process of getting feedback from the employees and will assess if it is the right glove or if we want to try another route.”

Dal-Tile has been working closely with its Magid rep to provide more and more PPE options on the website to meet each employees needs and the database continues to grow, providing additional approved options. “Cut protection is the number one issue—the thing that matters the most,” says Ballard.

“Since I started working for Associated Foods, I set a goal of having a fully stocked safety committee,” Fischio shares. “While there has been a safety committee in place for many years, I really wanted to get everyone involved. We have accomplished the goal. Now, we have at least one person from every department as part of the committee. This has really been key to preventing injuries and accidents from happening because every perspective is represented.”—Damon Fischio, Associated foods

equipment for our employees and I strongly believe that Magid consistently helps us do that.”

Control has always been an important factor for Associated Foods since it employs over 750 people, all requiring different types of PPE.

“I have worked very hard to be sure our safety program is in our control,” Fischio adds. The flexibility and dependability of the Magid vending program has given our company exactly what we needed to run a successful safety program for all of our employees. I am very thankful our rep happened to stop into our facility on the very day I was looking for a solution.”

PPE at HomeAssociated Foods encourages employees to use the proper PPE when working at home as well. Because top-notch safety equipment is a high priority for the company, it wants to be sure its employees are safe around the clock.

“We allow our employees to purchase PPE from the vending machines for yard work and other at-home jobs,” explains Fischio. “If we expect them to be extremely safe at work, we want them to continue that mindset at home. If an employee needs cut resistant gloves to take home for a job, they are able to purchase additional PPE for use off the job. In a sense, we are protecting them even when they are not on our shop floor.”

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“When choosing PPE that is our number one priority. Tile breaks like glass and in turn, cuts like glass. We have to be extremely cautious of that.”

In addition to cut protection, Dal-Tile has many other factors to consider. With locations throughout the entire U.S. and Canada, there is a big temperature variance and the gloves and PPE must reflect those regional needs.

“We really want to make sure all of our employees have what they need and what works best for them,” Fernandez adds. “Some employees need warmth and flexibility while others require breathability. We have to be aware of the differences and make sure we are offering the right things.”

How to Keep Track of Over 300 LocationsWith so many locations, it is impossible for Ballard and Fernandez to communicate with every single employee at every location. To help solve this issue, there is a Dal-Tile safety rep at every location who takes care of housekeeping inspections and the allotment of PPE.

“Those safety professionals are responsible for getting feedback from employees and sharing it with us,” explains Ballard. “From these safety reps, we can find out simply what works and what doesn’t. From there, we can take that information and decide what needs to be added or removed from the store to address any issue. In addition, we can look at other locations and see if they are having similar challenges.”

For such a big company, it is impossible to deal with each location microscopically.

“With this online store, we can focus more on the big picture,” Ballard says. “But this gives us the ability to tailor to each location in the most efficient way.”

Can Technology Improve Safety and Provide Cost Savings?Technology does many things for us in the modern day, but can it improve safety and provide cost savings for a company like Dal-Tile?

“It has improved safety significantly and keeps costs down,” says Fernandez. “We are able to control what each location is ordering. If there is a specific need for a safety knife, we know they are ordering the approved one—one that is both safe and a good price. We don’t have to track down vendors and go through the whole approval process for every piece of PPE at every location. We know the PPE available on the site is approved by OSHA and provides us with cost savings.”

Staying Up-To-DateWith an online store, it would be easy to set up everything once and not update it often. However, Dal-Tile makes it a point to review every item on the online database every year and the list of items available continues to grow.

“Each year, we take a look at all the items and if we feel like something isn’t up-to-date or could be improved, we work with our rep to find something to replace it,” says Ballard. “We look to fill any voids and to improve the selection of PPE we provide.”

Online Store Improves Safety ProgramDal-Tile has been using the Magid online store for almost two years—and the benefits are numerous.

“The Magid online store has improved safety immensely. As this thing grows, we plan on doing more and more with the online store and with Magid as a whole,” Ballard adds. “They have been great to work with and I know we have worked really hard to find something that works for our company. We were lucky enough to find Magid at just the right time.”

Magid has created a customized online store for Dal-Tile employees.

Photos Courtesy of Dal-Tile

An employee hard at work in one of Dal-Tile’s 300+ locations.

“Our online store saves us both the time and the money. Everything is taken care of in a one-stop shop. That is priceless.”—Jason Ballard, Dal-Tile

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For more information on these or any products, contact your Magid rep today!

Magid® T-REX® TRX648 Dotted Palm Impact Glove – Cut Level 4For jobs that require excellent wet and dry grip with impact and cut protection, the TRX648 dotted palm impact glove features large PVC dots on a reinforced synthetic leather palm, anti-fatigue pre-curved fingers and ANSI level 4 cut resistance.

u PVC dots on synthetic leather palm enhance oil gripu Full coverage TPR back-of-the-hand impact protectionu Pre-curved fingers for all day comfort without fatigueu ANSI Level 4 Cut Resistance, ANSI Level 4 Puncture

Resistance and ANSI Level 5 Abrasion Resistance

Item #TRX648

ANSI

Puncture

4ANSI

Abrasion

5ANSI

Cut

4

Item #GPD590

Magid® D-ROC® GPD590 HPPE Blended Polyurethane Palm Coated Work Glove — Cut Level 4

For jobs that involve handling sharp edged materials, the Magid D-ROC GPD590 Work Glove combines powerful ANSI level 4 cut resistance, exceptional comfort and cost-savings into a high-performance glove.

u HPPE blended shell delivers cool comfort and dependable cut protectionu Polyurethane palm coating maintains dexterity while delivering excellent gripu ANSI Level 4 Cut Resistance and ANSI Level 6 Abrasion Resistance ANSI

Puncture

3ANSI

Abrasion

6ANSI

Cut

4

Item #GPD510

ANSI

Puncture

5ANSI

Abrasion

6ANSI

Cut

2

Magid® D-ROC® GPD510 HPPE Blended Polyurethane Palm Coated Work Gloves – Cut Level 2For customers who work with sharp materials and are looking for cost-savings, the GPD510 HPPE blended polyurethane palm coated work gloves provide long lasting, comfortable ANSI cut level 2 hand protection at an outstanding value.

u Durable HPPE blended shell delivers breathability, comfort and 360° cut protection

u Polyurethane palm coating maintains dexterity while delivering an excellent grip

u ANSI Level 2 Cut Resistance, ANSI Level 6 Abrasion Resistance and ANSI Level 5