Tony Pacheco is the person responsible for ensuring the health and safety of over 300 workers at the Delta, BC operation for Windset Farms. In this podcast episode, Tony shares his experiences, the importance of the continuous improvement committee, and the impact of EFI training on communication and results within the greenhouses.
Windset Farms is a sustainable supplier of naturally grown produce that has delivered fresh produce to consumers for over two decades. They gave grown to become one of North America’s largest sustainable produce suppliers. With greenhouses in Delta, BC, and Santa Maria, CA, they offer delicious, nutrient-rich produce year-round.
Tony explains that while they had a safety committee in place, which helped them meet the minimum safety requirements, they wanted to do more to improve worker safety. This led to them partnering with EFI to enhance communication and improve safety beyond the minimum requirements. With EFI’s training, everyone gets a certification, and they work together to dissect issues, come up with a plan, and make it work!
One of their successful projects was the installation of water fountains in the greenhouses to improve access to drinking water. The team tasked each representative from each department to tell them their needs, and the workers mentioned that they needed access to drinking water without having to leave the greenhouses. They proposed the idea of bringing water fountains inside the greenhouses, and after a successful trial, the team ordered more.
“These projects sound so simple in nature, but they are never easy to implement. “
However, before ordering all the fountains, they had to address other concerns such as where to get the fountain, electricity, water lines, drainage, and more. The project took around three months, but the workers were aware of the budget and the total cost of the project, so they knew why it was taking so long. This is one of the best things about EFI’s approach – everyone is involved in every step, and they are aware of why something may take longer than expected.
Tony’s experience highlights the importance of communication and collaboration when it comes to improving worker safety. By involving everyone in the process, they were able to come up with practical solutions that had a significant impact on the workers’ health and safety. EFI’s training and approach have been instrumental in this effort, providing the tools and resources needed to achieve their goals. To learn more about Windset and everything about the greenhouses, listen to this episode in our podcast!
