Starting 2026 with Intention: Why Every Workplace Needs a Safety Plan

As another year begins, businesses across Louisiana are setting priorities and planning for what comes next. While growth goals and performance metrics often lead these conversations, this moment also presents an important opportunity to focus on something foundational: workplace safety. A clear, intentional safety plan does more than prevent injuries. It protects people, strengthens workplace culture, and supports long-term business success.

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Louisiana has made meaningful progress in workplace safety in recent years, and now ranks among the safest states in the country for private sector workers. These results did not happen by accident. They reflect the commitment of workers who take safety seriously and the employers that make safety planning a top priority.

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Sustaining and building on that progress requires continued focus. As Louisiana’s largest workers’ compensation company, LWCC works closely with employers across industries to help them build practical, effective safety plans. A strong plan follows a simple but proven approach: inspect, analyze, evaluate, plan, and train. Together, these steps encourage employers to walk worksites, review past incidents, assess existing controls, clearly document policies, and ensure employees are consistently trained.

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One example of what intentional safety looks like in practice is Demo Diva, a residential demolition company and LWCC policyholder based in New Orleans.  For owner Simone Bruni, safety is not a checklist or a compliance exercise; it’s a core leadership responsibility woven into every task, conversation, and decision. And it’s her key to success.

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“Safety is everything,” Bruni says.

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Bruni launched Demo Diva after Hurricane Katrina with limited resources but a clear mindset. Early on, a mentor shared advice that continues to guide her today:: “You can’t manage safety from the sidelines.” From the beginning, Bruni made safety visible and participatory, leading from the jobsite and setting expectations through action.

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After 20 years in business, Bruni has learned the importance of strategizing safety before and after every shift. Each day, Demo Diva crews spend time at the jobsite documenting what happened the day before, from weather-related shutdowns to equipment use and job conditions. These conversations build accountability, reinforce communication, and help teams anticipate risks before work begins.

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Teams focus on the work ahead with a “toolbox talk” and a Job Hazard Analysis focused on the specific tasks at hand. Topics may include hydration, power lines, or equipment operations, depending on the job. A groundman leads the discussion, and every team member signs in to acknowledge participation, helping reinforce shared responsibility.

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Training at Demo Divas is continuous. Crews regularly participate in lunch and learn sessions covering changing regulations and best practices, and Bruni invites industry experts to share insights. Safety, in her view, is learned collectively and reinforced through consistency.

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That sense of ownership extends to equipment and appearance. Demo Diva employees purchase and maintain their own personal protective equipment (PPE), while the company invests in high-visibility uniforms, upgraded cab shields, and a meticulously organized, hot-pink tool trailer that travels from site to site. When their trucks arrive, fully stocked and clearly branded, they signal professionalism, preparedness, and pride.

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“We invest in the right equipment and take pride in using it and showing it off,” Bruni says. “We know we are a high-visibility company, and we want people who see us working to know we are taking safety seriously in a very visible way.”

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Creating a culture of safety like Demo Diva’s starts with a clear safety plan. Not a document that sits on a shelf, but an actionable guide that drives accountability and protects employees. An effective safety plan should:

• Establish clear policies and responsibilities

• Outline hazard-specific procedures

• Require thorough documentation

• Identify training schedules

• Define emergency response and reporting steps

• Include drug-free workplace protocols, and

• Protect workers from environmental hazards like heat, sun exposure, or dehydration.

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LWCC supports employers at every stage of this process by providing templates, checklists, self-evaluation tools, and training guides to turn safety planning into daily practice.

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The new year is an ideal time for companies to revisit and strengthen their safety plans, not out of obligation, but with intention. The most effective safety cultures, like the one at Demo Diva, are communicative, engaged, and built into the work itself. When safety is prioritized every day, it protects people, strengthens businesses, and helps Louisiana thrive.