Safety Day
Safety Day 2023
![Team of Block by Block Ambassadors in Louisville, KY at The Paddock Shops posing for a photo.](https://www.blockbyblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Safety-Paddock-Shops.jpeg)
Our Louisville Paddock Shops Ambassador Team with 1-2 Years Injury Free!
While safety is our No. 1 priority every day, Block by Block’s (BBB) official Safety Day comes only once a year. This is a day where BBB Teams come together for food, fun and important discussions about safety.
BBB’s Stop. Think. Act. Program began in 2014 as a commitment to regularly teach and remind our Ambassadors and Teams of the importance of our safety best practices.
Rubber bracelets with the motto “Stop. Think. Act.” denote the safety status of each account BBB contracts with and are a part of the daily uniform for all Ambassadors in the field. When we first open in a new location, each member of the Ambassador Team receives a black bracelet that serves as a daily reminder to Stop, Think and Act safely. Once an account has reached 12 months with no injuries, they receive yellow bracelets. When an account reaches 24 months with no injuries, they are upgraded again to green bracelets.
BBB and our teams across the country celebrated Safety Day on June 30. Operation Managers (OMs) met with their teams to discuss why safety is important and went over previous incidents that have occurred. The teams discussed how those incidents could have been avoided, as they bonded with the team over a meal provided by BBB. Team Leaders also facilitated discussions about close calls or would-be incidents that were narrowly avoided or intentionally prevented. They discussed what was done correctly and what could have been done better.
Ambassadors also tested their safety knowledge with quizzes, trivia and even jeopardy! Each account leader was responsible for making the day fun, engaging and educational. Teams across the country showcased their celebrations on our Block by Block Ambassador Facebook page.
- Wilmington, NC Ambassadors in their BID.
- A big Safety Day group in our Hollwood, CA BID!
- Some of our Old Pasadena, CA Ambassadors.
- A few members of our Pittsburgh, PA Ambassador Team!
- Upper Market Castro, CA Ambassadors made the most of the nice weather with some fun field day activities!
- East Cut CBD, CA Ambassadors partook in a day of challenges resulting in a Hospitality Champ!
At the time of BBB Safety Day 2023, 34 accounts were injury free for one to two years, and 38 accounts were injury free for over two years. That’s more than half of BBB accounts that are injury free for one year or more!
We want to highlight some of those accounts with outstanding injury prevention! Downtown Fargo Business Improvement District (BID) is one of these accounts.
“We are always talking about safety, during shift briefings and throughout the day.” Victor Heitkamp, Fargo BID OM, said. “We talk about items that are relevant for any giving day.”
Lately, Victor has been discussing heat safety at his account. “We have seen some extreme heat for our area, and I am constantly reminding teammates to stay hydrated, take breaks when they need and keep an eye out for one another,” he said.
“I feel we are fortunate because we have such a small crew of Ambassadors that it’s easy to look after one another,” Victor added. “I also give BBB a huge amount of credit. The efforts they take on safety and safety training are like no other! I truly feel that corporate cares about its people working across the country through the 140+ programs. There is great uniformity and expectation set with good direction that comes from the top.”
Another safety-focused account with over two years without injury is the University of Akron, Ohio. OM Jon Roethlisberger said he attributes their success to his belief that “safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands.”
We applaud these accounts for their success and encourage those with less than a year to continue keeping safety at the forefront of their daily activities!
2+ Years Injury Free
Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue BID, NY; Bethlehem EDC, PA; Castro/Upper Market CBD, CA; Charlotte Center City Partners, SC; City Center Partnership, SC; City of Albuquerque, NM; City of Beverly Hills, CA; City of Coral Gables, FL; City of Livermore, CA; Diamond City Partnership, PA; Downtown Association of Santa Cruz, CA; Downtown Columbia, SC; Downtown Dayton Partnership, OH; Downtown Fargo BID, ND; Downtown Jackson Partnership, MS; Downtown Lexington Partnership, KY; Golden Triangle BID, DC; Hillsborough Street CSC, NC; Hollywood CRA, FL; Japantown CBD, CA; Kailua Village BID, HI; Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership, MI; Lincoln Road BID, FL; Memphis Medical District, TN; Montague Street BID, NY; Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID, NY; Playhouse Village Association, CA; Providence DID, RI; Rosslyn BID, VA; Sports Complex SSD, PA; Stamford Downtown SSD, CT; Temescal Telegraph BID, CA; Town Center at Levis Commons, OH; University of Akron, OH; Uptown Dallas, Inc., TX
1-2 Years Injury Free
Atlantic Avenue Bid, NY; Augusta Downtown Initiative, GA; Boulder Downtown Partnership, CO; City of Louisville, KY; City of Myrtle Beach, FL; Colfax Avenue BID, CO; Corpus Christi DMD, TX; Downtown Chico BA, CA; Downtown Development District, LA; Downtown Frederick Partnership, MD; Downtown Mobile DMC,AL; Downtown Oklahoma City, Inc., OK; Downtown Toledo BID, OH; Downtown Tulsa Partnership, OK; Downtown Ventura Partners, CA; Greater Easton DP, PA; Miami Downtown, FL; Mill Avenue District, AZ; Myrtle Ave. Business District Association, NY; Oakland BID, CA; Old Pasadena MD, CA; Paddock Shops, KY; Peavey Plaza MDID, MN; Rose Kennedy Greenway Park, MA; San Jose DA, CA; Short North Alliance, OH; St. Paul Downtown Alliance, MN; Sunset Park BID, NY; The East Cut CBD, CA; The Ohio State University, OH; University District SID, OH; University of Minnesota, MN; Visit Knoxville TN, TN; Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, MD
- Operations Manager Victor with some of his Fargo Ambassadors.
- Ambassadors wear green bracelets if their account has been without injury for over two years.