Culinary staff in a commercial kitchen taking notes and collaborating during training or food safety review.

Sodexo Healthcare: Putting safety first

When two Sodexo employees joined MyMichigan Medical Center Midland, workplace injuries were a regular occurrence. The team set out to put safety first. 

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When Deb Luebbert and Tonya Ellis joined Sodexo at MyMichigan Medical Center Midland, they were confronted with a distressing reality: workplace injuries were alarmingly frequent. This issue stemmed from a lack of safety culture, low employee engagement and insufficient communication toward a zero-harm mindset. Recognizing the urgent need for change, Deb, Tonya, and their team set out to transform the team’s approach to safety.

The three-part approach

Inspired by Sodexo’s core values of Service Spirit, Team Spirit, and Spirit of Progress, the team developed the Safe Start, Safe Together, Safe Forever program, which, as the name suggests, consists of three key components:

Kitchen staff assessing a food spill on the floor in a commercial kitchen to address a safety hazard.

Safe start

To prevent injuries before they occur, the team committed to a Zero Harm mindset. They increased safety walks by 300%, to guarantee the identification and remedy of hazards. They provided new hires with manager-led orientation focused on safety and peer-led hands-on training, ensuring new employees could confidently and safely perform their tasks.


Repetition is key. To maintain a Zero Harm mindset throughout the day, the team redesigned the main housekeeping area with a focus on safety. They implemented a monthly safety board and a rolling PowerPoint presentation with weekly safety topics. Employees received three daily safety check reminders to reinforce the importance of safety.

Healthcare staff and administrators collaborating in a meeting room during a presentation on performance metrics.

Safe together

Understanding the importance of collaboration to a successful safety culture, the team engaged employees, clients and vendors. They implemented a requirement for Root Cause Analyses for all injuries – with the involvement of the injured employee, unit manager, witnesses and the management team – in order to develop prevention plans. They also established a monthly employee-led Safety Committee, empowering employees to voice their safety concerns and lead site-wide improvements.

Food service workers preparing meals in a commercial kitchen beside a “Have a Safe Day” safety message.

Safe forever

Safe Start, Safe Together, Safe Forever is not just a multi-step program but a complete culture change. Using tools from Sodexo’s Have a Safe Day training, 3 Checks for Safety and Accident Prevention training, the team took their safety efforts to the next level. They have seen remarkable results, including a 46% reduction in safety incidents, a 70% reduction in OSHA recordables and a 94% reduction in lost days.

Results and recognition

The transformation at this site has been profound. Safety is top priority for all Sodexo teams and we are proud to highlight the outstanding efforts of Deb Luebbert, Tonya Ellis, and their dedicated team at MyMichigan Medical Center Midland as part of National Safety Month.

Employee turnover decreased, overtime lessened and new hires increasingly come from employee referrals. The employees embraced the safety culture, feeling empowered and valued.

With the success of the Safe Start, Safe Together, Safe Forever program, Deb, Tonya, and their team dramatically reduced workplace injuries. For their efforts, this team earned Sodexo’s prestigious Global “Have a Safe Day” Award, recognizing their significant improvement of occupational safety culture and performance.

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