When it comes to workplace safety, companies lean on hundreds of different slogans and sayings, all meant to do one thing: keep safety at the forefront of team members’ minds.

The mantra for RDO Equipment Co. team members is “safe by choice, not by chance,” a statement describing the intentional team and individual effort required to create a safe workplace. For RDO, the statement is much more than just words on a banner, as evidenced by 44 RDO locations achieving ISO 45001:2018 certification through DEKRA.

ISO 45001 is the international standard for occupational health and safety. Achieving certification through DEKRA — a global organization that provides testing, inspection, and certification services to help improve safety, security and sustainability — means RDO is walking the walk when it comes to safety for heavy equipment professionals in sales, services, parts and other support roles, and it’s a long time coming.

“We’ve essentially been working from the ISO 45001:2018 playbook with our safety practices leading up to this point,” said Environmental Health and Safety Manager Greg Erickson. “This means we have already laid the groundwork for certification; we’re doing the steps already. But with certification, we’ll be able to measure and strengthen our commitment to team member safety, just like how we strive to be best in class for service and solutions.”  

A key outcome of the certification process is a framework to monitor the operational risks present in RDO workplaces. RDO safety leaders worked alongside internal audit teams to evaluate and re-energize safety processes at seven RDO stores and the company’s Field Support Office in Fargo, North Dakota. Through a multisite certification process, these eight locations served as examples and leaders to earn the certification for more than 40 others.

"RDO's solid foundation with existing protocols and procedures set teams up for success and strengthened safety culture,” RDO’s President Chris Cooper said. 

This is the latest milestone in a process that goes back to early 2023, when Erickson and Josh Rude, RDO’s occupational health and safety supervisor, led a pilot certification effort for the RDO store in Dayton, Minnesota and the Field Support Office. 

Partners for Proactive Safety

Since the beginning of 2024, team leaders have integrated what they learned during the first two ISO 45001: 2018 certifications to prepare for this most recent wave of 43 more stores going through the process.

"When our store was selected for the ISO 45001:2018 certification process and physical audit, the amount of information available was a bit overwhelming," said Troy Young, general manager of the RDO store in Pflugerville, Texas. "However, working with other store locations and safety leaders, the process became more intentional, and we all learned the language of safety."

Young explains that the process brought greater awareness to safety, thanks to internal audits and more intentional daily safety huddles. During these, the team members discuss a daily topic, everything from heat stroke awareness to proper disposal documentation for hazardous materials and other health-promoting practices like stretches.

Dan Lingen, a general manager in Mankato, Minnesota, shares this about their store’s safety culture.

"The primary way we grow safety awareness is by talking about it," Lingen said. "The more we talk, work together and hold each other accountable, the more we follow up as a group on issues or concerns to find a solution before a problem occurs." 

Safety as Culture, Not Compliance 

With roughly half of RDO Equipment Co.’s locations now laying claim to the world’s leading workplace safety certification, the next step across the company is to continue fostering a culture of safety, certification or not.

"RDO as a whole made this commitment. We work together to increase our team members' safety awareness and our collective ability to discuss improving safety initiatives," Rude said. 

Young also says teams in Texas create interactive learning by answering questions during their scheduled safety huddles.

"We all understand that ISO 45001:2018 isn't a finish line or a report card, it’s about promoting a safe culture for all team members" Young said. "Now that we've received the certification, we're not letting off the gas pedal. We continue to work together to keep every team member safe." 

These on-the-ground actions are what will keep safety truly front and center for RDO team members while certification of more stores in the future remains on the roadmap. 

RDO safety and store leaders continue to develop safety frameworks and evaluations; they expect additional service, sales and parts teams to participate in future ISO 45001:2018 certification efforts. As all RDO stores operate under the same ISO 45001:2018 occupational health and safety management system standard.