SafetyWatch: Safety bingo

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For Plantenance Landscape Group in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada, safety is serious business, but there’s no reason employees can’t have a little fun with it, according to Glenn Curtis, founder and chief visionary officer of the company, which was founded 40 years ago.

Enter safety bingo. Each employee receives a bingo card upon onboarding, and every day the company goes without an accident, employees receive their bingo number for the day. Upon winning, employees can collect a gift certificate for items such as groceries or fuel, valued between $100 and $250.

“Employees have a chance to win extra money for being safe, which they should want to do anyway,” Curtis says. “We did it initially to create a fun culture but also to make sure they take safety seriously. We value their safety, and if they play it safe, we’ll tie it into a reward.”

As with any game, there are rules. For example, employees must be on time to receive their number, and if they’re not present at work, they don’t get their number for the day.

At the beginning of the season, the pot starts out at $100 and goes up between $20-$50 every time there’s a winner, maxing out at $250. If there are double winners, they split the prize, and if there’s a claimable accident, the pot goes back down to $100. Employees can win a maximum of two times in a 30-day period.

The company started playing the game about 15 years ago, and in peak season, about 20 employees participate.

“Our safety record is phenomenal, and if we’re late on issuing a number, we’ll get a call from the foremen,” Curtis says. “Money is a great motivator. Even for $100 or $200, it really works. Now, we’re looking into bingo for key performance indicators. It’s just about tying it into a behavior you want repeated.”