Using fun, animated communications materials, our Latin America (LATAM) EHS team utilizes employee engagement to think outside the box and send a message that resonates.

“One of the keys for our EHS work is employee engagement,” said Humberto Garza, Sherwin-Williams Regional HR Manager, EHS, in Mexico. “It starts with our leaders connecting with our employees on a personal level.”

A little friendly competition between sites also helps. Running from January through April 2022, the Start Strong initiative raised awareness on the importance of continued EHS oversight for preventing injuries and illnesses. As part of the initiative, the Sherwin-Williams EHS team presented safety best practices to all sites in the LATAM region to emphasize incident prevention and leadership support.

The EHS team created a 15-round, quiz-style tournament. With questions about the TLC Stay Safe Out There initiative and corporate standard application definitions, each round became progressively more challenging. Ultimately, the Texcoco, Mexico, team triumphed.

To reinforce the Company’s commitment to EHS, the team spearheaded a midyear EHS challenge. They evaluated sites based on four focus areas – reactive activities, sustainable operations, routine proactive measures and nonroutine proactive undertakings. After a close race, the Texcoco team once again prevailed, providing a positive example for the rest of the region.

These competitions have effectively spurred renewed energy for the topic of EHS in the LATAM region.

“EHS is about showing respect for yourself, your coworkers and the environment,” said Marco Costa, Sherwin-Williams EHS Director. “It is our job to get employees’ minds – and hearts – focused on those safe behaviors.”

This story is featured in the Sherwin-Williams 2022 Sustainability Report.