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When Edward Ramos first became a Safety Officer at the Los Angeles County Library, 16 years ago, the libraries had not had a safety department in five years. There was a manual, paper-based system for tracking safety incidents, and no streamlined process for inspections. For the next 15 years, Ed was responsible for ensuring safety across 87 library branches. In 2015, with the help of SBN, Ed began systematizing the safety apparatus across the libraries by digitizing inspections, creating custom checklists that employees at each location could use, and generating multi-site safety reports that increased visibility across sites.
Over his years of experience, Ed's main takeaway for ensuring workplace safety is that it can't be done alone. Without buy-in from the whole team to stay compliant with safety standards, which involves an efficient, effective, teamwide system, it's difficult for workplaces with multiple sites, like the LA County Library, to maintain safety standards.
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Ready for lockdowns and wildfires
Ed is a former U.S. Marine and a former Los Angeles County Police lieutenant, with 21 years on the force until the department was dissolved in 2010. Prior to joining the libraries, he obtained his hazmat certification from the Department of Homeland Security, and eventually began filling the gaps in safety at the libraries. His foresight in digitizing the LA County Library safety infrastructure would prove to be timely.
In 2020, amid the COVID-19 lockdown, the library staff began working remotely. Then, in 2021, just as the administrative offices were gearing up to return, the Palisades Fire ravaged parts of L.A. “That's when Simple But Needed helped me out a lot,” Ed recalled, “because it allowed us to work from anywhere. Before that we were paper based, and it was hard to keep track of the reports that were filed, and who did what.”
It allowed us to work from anywhere. Before that we were paper based, and it was hard to keep track of the reports that were filed, and who did what.
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A QR code in every branch
SBN's digitized safety management software became the starting point for the safety team's daily routine. Each day, the team reviews the customized safety reports it receives from employees across the 87 locations, including non-employee injury reports, and develops an action plan to tackle them.
“I started with one license from SBN, just me doing inspections,” Ed said, remembering when he first started using the EHS software platform, eleven years ago. “Before, they would have to pull out an inspection sheet every month, fill them out, copy them, and fax them. And now…” Ed held up a page with an SBN QR code, “we put these all over the library. Anyone can scan one of these and fill out an incident form without having to log in. This thing has grown into a monster. The guys love it.”
Delegating the reports to library employees across all sites has also given Ed the confidence that each location is compliant with regulations and safety standards, since he can have general oversight without needing to be present at each location at all times.
When Ed first started, he was the sole safety officer. Under his leadership, the LA County Library's safety program has grown to include two managers, 28 maintenance staff, two supervisors, building and clerical support, and as of last year, a safety inspector.
Ed and his team often tackle safety issues like fall prevention, moving parts and forklift safety, and heat illness prevention. Some of the library branches date as far back as 1913, so Ed's team has to ensure that the roof can withstand flooding during heavy rains and that rainwater doesn't create a fall risk. Ed also has to ensure his team's safety while the branches are under construction or when severe heat in California poses a threat.
Anyone can scan one of these and fill out an incident form without having to log in. This thing has grown into a monster. The guys love it.
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Team buy-in as preventative maintenance
“The way I've gotten around managing so many sites and moving parts is by getting people to buy into the safety program itself,” Ed said. “I am one guy, and I have 87 facilities over a thousand miles. I'm not successful because of what I do, but because of the people who are often my eyes and ears. They are what make me successful, because they've bought into the program.”
LA County Library has also become more organized about its inspection and safety records while using SBN. “Not only does it help us not kill so many trees with the paperwork, it also helps us be defensive when we get an inspection from Cal/OSHA about a supposed violation,” Ed said. “We can always go back and say, ‘here's our record.’” Having electronic records has allowed the libraries not only to streamline safety inspections, walkthroughs, and reports, but also to keep and expand records of safety trends and incidents over time.
Recently, LA County Library gave Ed Ramos an “Unsung Heroes” award for his contributions to making L.A.'s libraries safer. “It was really rewarding because sometimes as Safety Officers, we can't really see the impact our work has on people,” Ed said, “but my team is top notch, every single one of them, and I try to make sure that that's known, because they make me successful.”
We can always go back and say, ‘here's our record.’