Front Range Community College is currently looking to hire an instructor for the Landscape Design I fall semester Larimer Campus. One of their long-time instructors is relocating but willing to help the new instructor navigate the content. The course shell is already built, so no need to re-invent the wheel. The fall semester is coming up fast, so please send out feelers or apply for this position if interested. Please email Molly McDonald directly for more details.
Submit your 2024 ProGreen EXPO session proposal now
We invite you to submit your session proposal for the 2024 ProGreen EXPO in Denver, Colorado, taking place January 30 - February 1, 2024. This annual conference allows green industry professionals in the Rocky Mountain region to gain vital knowledge and skills to improve business, educate employees and discover the latest trends for the upcoming season.
Submissions will be accepted through August 15, 2023.
Tis the season! No… not for mistletoe and holly, but sunburns and dehydration!
By Troy Sibelius
In hot weather, our body’s natural cooling systems are not enough. Heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke pose a real threat to outdoor workers. Heat stresshas a significant negative impact on employee production and attendance that can causeproject schedules and budgets go into disarray as companies scurry to complete the work. Let’s take a closer look what is really going on.
Reality and myth
You know the controls for working in the heat: provide plenty of water, sunscreen, sunglasses, allow regular breaks, etc. Unfortunately,a persistent mythis that production is hampered by adding morecontrols. Not only does this mythpresent a disregard for safety, but it’s also just plain wrong! In addition to preventing heat illness, proper controls can also prevent mental/physical fatigue and employee runoff. The myth assumes on-site downtime and precautions decrease employee output has a negative impact on your budget.
Let’s examine the effectsheat has on productivity. Extensive research on human performance reveals arecurring statistic; for each degree above 80o F (roughly) productivity decreases anywhere from 2%-3%. This meanson a 100o F summer day, without controls in place, production can be reduced by up to 50%. Under these conditions employees move slower, regularly forget equipment and materials, andproduce lower quality work,possibly requiringrework. Studies also indicate that people working in these conditions on a regular basis (e.g., landscaper workers)showed tendencies toward increased absenteeism, conflicts, safety and HR complaints, and attrition.
These issues have not been resolved by demanding that workers to “toughen up” or to “handle the heator stay out of the kitchen.” In the current labor market, employees are asking, “why should I prove I’m toughwhen the crew across the street has water, shade and regular breaks?”Employees today are very aware of their value and other available jobopportunities. Employers who make‘concessions’to put controls in place simple to meet employees’requests,tryingto keep them happy, may still seethem leave for an extra $0.25 per hour. Rather than making concessions, why not create an environment where people want to take pride in the quality of their work and have input into the conditions that allow them to perform well?
Employee concessions or strategic decision?
To address the topic of heat illness ask yourself and your employees, what could we correct that would make it easier to work in the heat? You might think, “that soundslike you’re making a concession,” and you would be correct if we stopped here. If we add the analysis of impact on the organization, instead of‘wasted time’ adding scheduled breaks to keep employees comfortable, we’re instead adding ‘concessions’ to reduce employee fatigue,attrition and negative impacts on production. Nowyou are making a strategic decisionthatmanagers can support because they see the direct impact.
Here are fewthings you can do now to build a culture that honors employee value andpromotes commitment to quality and production.
Create a list of project requirements when temperatures exceed 90o F. Select cost effective and high impactmethods including shade tents, hardhat insert/ brims, wearing loose, light colored clothing andprovidingcoolers stocked with ice, water, and electrolyte drinks.
Avoid overexertion during peak temperature hours. Work to implementmore breaks and/orrotate workerswhen temperatures are high. If production is decreased due to heat,and adding more breaks improves the impact,you can have a net positive gainon production and increase employee morale.
Meet with employees to discuss what has been done and why and ask them for additionalsuggestions.
Now is the time to emphasize that employee culture and morale are valued assets,ANDquality and production are expectations of the job. Everyonedesires to show up, be treated respectfully, havecontributions recognized, and go home injury and illness free. Under strong leadership, everyonecanhaveshared goals, creating a successfulcompany and culture where people want to show upAND take pride in their work.
ALCC led the Colorado 12-person delegation on the D.C. Fly-in on June 14 and met with all the representative’s offices. Rep Petterson and Neguse signed a letter supporting RWE language being pursued with the judicial committee. Crow and Caraveo provided staffing challenges to making the deadline given for June 17 deadline. Still awaiting responses from the rest of the Colorado house representatives. A one-year returning workers exemption, with a three year look back, was added to FY 24 DHS Appropriations via a manager’s amendment (meaning non-controversial).
It is unclear if this will go across the full House floor (very unlikely) but if it does have to go through the full House this will likely present some additional roadblocks that we will need to overcome just because of the narrow Republican majority and extremely volatile policy issues in DHS Appropriations.
We now will shift gears to the Senate appropriators, which conversations have already begun. The question will be, “What will it take to garner Dem. Support for RWE?” There are several provisions that the coalition can support that are in the SEA bill, which is based on coalition positions we made last November/December.
Having an RWE now does not ensure that’s what we will have in December and is the best position we have been in since 2018.
Landscape companies volunteer to renovate 9News backyard
Since about 2002, ALCC has had a relationship with 9News that features industry experts appearing on Friday afternoon gardening segments to promote horticultural practices for water savings and sustainable landscapes. ALCC volunteer Peter Millstein pitched the concept of the demonstration garden to 9News and constructed the first water-wise garden which was maintained by ALCC volunteers over the years. For 20+ years, ALCC volunteers have worked closely with the 9News team to bring valuable tips to 9News viewers. This partnership also led to many "on-demand" segments featuring ALCC members, creating a win/win for ALCC and 9News.
This year, from May 18-19, ALCC member companies and their employees donated time and talent -- a "Day of Service" -- to demolish and rebuild the backyard. Designscapes Colorado designed the much-needed makeover. The 9News backyard renovation is an opportunity to showcase some of the sustainable landscape practices implemented in the backyard and to show the public how the landscape industry is doing its part by reducing water use and plant attrition, while still providing beautiful, outdoor spaces. The renovated backyard will also help promote landscape best management practices (BMPs) and ALCC's Sustainable Landscape Maintenance (SLM) program.
A big thank you to Designscapes Colorado's Phil Steinhauer, CEO, and Char Chacon, residential team manager, for donating company time and resources. Thanks also go to Diggable Designs Landscape Construction, LLC., Brightview Landscape, and to Ellen Becker, of Floral Culture, LLC, for donating time and material. Thank you to Alameda Wholesale Nursery, Inc. and Arbor Valley Nursery for the plant donations, DBC Irrigation Supply for donating irrigation parts, and Birdsall & Co. for donating flowerpots.