Georgia-Pacific facility enhances safety with switch to orange hi-vis gear

Orange has replaced yellow at Georgia-Pacific’s consumer products facility in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The facility, known for its abundant yellow safety features such as guardrails, stairways, and floor lines, previously required employees to wear high-visibility (hi-vis) gear in yellow. However, a visibility issue was identified through conversations with lift truck drivers and warehouse employees.

“Sometimes it was hard for drivers to see pedestrians because all of our hi-vis was yellow”, stated Gary Gretzinger, operations manager at Hattiesburg. “It was easy for them to blend into their surroundings”.

The facility’s narrow alleys, about 10 feet wide, are frequently used by lift trucks to move materials and products. The yellow hi-vis gear posed a risk as employees could inadvertently enter the mobile equipment space, becoming difficult for drivers to spot and potentially leading to serious accidents.

The Principle Based Management™ framework at Georgia-Pacific emphasizes a bottom-up approach to problem-solving, relying on the expertise of those directly involved rather than imposing top-down solutions. Another fundamental principle is stewardship and compliance, prioritizing employee safety. Hattiesburg leaders applied these principles by responding to employee feedback about the safety risks of yellow hi-vis gear. In fall 2023, the facility began transitioning to orange hi-vis gear to enhance visibility against the yellow background.

Supervisors initiated the change by distributing bright orange tees, sweatshirts, and caps. The facility also formed a hi-vis safety team tasked with sourcing new bright orange equipment, including hard hats, safety vests, and fire-retardant clothing for the electrical team.

The new orange gear began to be distributed in March, and by April, the facility implemented an official policy requiring all employees to wear orange hi-vis. Despite the challenges that often accompany changes, the Hattiesburg team embraced this shift, recognizing it as a sign that their leaders were genuinely listening to their concerns.

“When people ask where this change is coming from”, Gary explained, “and they find out that it came from their coworkers, and they see we are actually listening and following through with their suggestions, it gives them motivation to speak up more often”.