How to hire for safety in the propane industry
The first safety decision a propane retailer makes about a new employee may, and should, happen before the person ever applies. It happens in the way we describe the role we are looking to fill.
Are you looking for a “results-oriented, self-starting problem solver” to drive a bobtail? Or are you looking for an experienced propane professional with attention to detail, sound judgment and a track record of serving customers safely?
Both descriptions might be accurate, but they send vastly different signals. If you market the role around speed, independence and results alone, you will likely attract people who believe the priority is simply getting the job done. However, if you market around professionalism, procedure, customer care and accountability, you are far more likely to attract people who understand that doing the job safely is the job.
When we talk about hiring for safety, it is natural to start with drivers. Driving habits and abilities are essential for bobtail and transport drivers. They are on the road, at customer locations and working in conditions that can easily change from hour to hour. But safe driving is only one piece of the puzzle.
In my experience, when we hire the right person to fill a customer’s tank or the right service technician to set tanks, run underground piping or replace regulators, strong driving habits usually come with that person. The same traits that make someone safe in the field often make that person safe behind the wheel: patience, attention to detail, respect for procedures and the judgment to slow down when something does not look or feel right.
This is why safety-focused hiring must include every role at a retailer. Customer service representatives, salespeople, dispatchers, plant employees, service technicians, drivers and managers all influence safety outcomes in their own ways.
A customer service representative may be the first person to hear a customer describe a gas odor. The correct response and attention in this conversation will set the entire response in motion to resolve the potential leak.
A salesperson should be setting expectations with a new customer about tank placement, access, service requirements or delivery timing. These early conversations not only prevent customer confusion but lay the groundwork for a safe, long-term customer.
A manager may be deciding whether employees feel supported when they ask questions, report concerns or stop work because of a safety concern. Employees pay attention to what leaders reward, what they overlook and how they respond when safe decisions create inconvenience.
When done intentionally, the hiring process can help the hiring team identify these mindsets before someone joins the team. Licenses, experience and technical skills still matter, but they are not enough on their own. Behavior-based questions can demonstrate how a candidate has acted when safety, customer expectations and time pressures intersected in the past.
Ask questions like:
- Tell me about a time you stopped or slowed down because something did not seem safe?
- Describe a time when a customer wanted something done in a way that conflicted with the code or a company procedure. What did you do?
- How do you handle a full schedule when weather, road conditions or access issues make the work more difficult than normal?
The answers given to these questions reveal whether a candidate is willing to speak up, follow procedures and use good judgement when the easy choice is not the safe choice.
Training builds on that foundation. It should never exist only to check a box. Good training explains the “why” behind the process and helps employees understand the real risks that procedures are designed to prevent.
A strong safety culture is built through daily actions, but hiring determines who joins that culture in the first place. When we hire propane professionals across every role, we build a stronger foundation for employees, customers and the communities we serve.
Safety starts before the first delivery, the first service call or customer conversation.
It starts with choosing people who understand the responsibility that comes with the work.
Bryan Wendt is the propane operations and safety manager at CHS Inc. He can be reached at 651-355-8546 or bryan.wendt@chsinc.com.
NOTE: The opinions and viewpoints expressed herein are solely the author’s and should in no way be interpreted as those of LP Gas magazine or any of its staff members.
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