#107 CHECKLIST * / (revised 9/4) safety

The safety of our customers, employees and vendors is of utmost importance to us.

The following is our checklist to insure that we are safe at all times at green garden gates

Tell us about the “emergency stations”

We have designated several small areas in the complex as emergency stations. They are clearly marked with bright “OSHA yellow”. They house all the supplies and instructions for any emergency situation we can imagine in a garden store.

Do you have posted numbers for emergencies?

Yes, we have those contact numbers posted at the emergency stations. In addition, the numbers are posted at the all desks of the section leaders, the checkout area and the manager’s day office and in her private residence. They list numbers as police, fire, ambulance services, hazardous materials agencies, and poison control centers in the area

Who has the authority to contact these agencies?

We would prefer the manager or the floor manager to make the contacts. Sometimes that is not possible for an immediate response needed. All the section leaders of the departments have the authority to make the calls

What about emergency shutdowns of the water or power in the facility? Are instructions posted on how to do this and numbers to call after the shutdown?

We realize that a huge break in the water system or a fire in the electrical circuitry of the buildings may require a mass shutdown on the site. We train our section leaders on this procedure each spring by hand walking them to the shutdown valves and boxes. At the emergency stations and at the shutdown site, we post instructions on how to do the shutdowns. We would prefer that the manager or floor manager to make the call and do the shutdown, but the section leaders have the authority to do so in their absence. We post the numbers of anyone who will be helping us to re-start and get back to business; plumbers, electricians, power companies, water utilities, and well companies.

Is your well checked for purity?

Yes, we have the well inspected and tested according to government regulations often. We do not have an overflow pond for the well.

Do you have stocked first aid kits positioned on the site?

Rather than buying pre-made first aid kits, we purchased 6 identical yellow large plastic tool boxes and stocked the boxes with all the first aid supplies needed for store safety. They are easy to spot at the emergency stations. All the necessary first aid diagrams and pamphlets are located at these stations. We will assign a “safety” employee to monitor the stocking of the boxes and re-fill them accordingly.

What first aid training do the employees have or will have when the store opens?

The key employees, the store manager, the floor manager and the section leaders attend a first aid course and refresher course at the beginning of each season. The seminar is conducted at the store before we officially open under the direction of the local first aid chapter. During that training, we do a refresher and go down our checklists of all the safety issues that may occur during the season. We require these employees, during the first three years of employment to qualify as an EMT, an emergency medical technician. We note any other first aid or emergency training of our employees and enlist their help in emergency situations. For example, if an employee is a retired fireman or policeman. Their names and work locations on the site are posted in these “emergency stations” of the site

Do you have a portable defibrillator at the store?

Yes, we do and its location is clearly marked at an emergency station. Training is conducted each year for the key employees of the store.

Is there an emergency manual at the store?

Yes, it is available at all the emergency stations.

Who monitors safety hazards at the store and on the entire site?

We charge the "safety employee" with this monitoring and pay him an extra stipend to perform these tasks. He or she walks the store looking for hazards, gathers information about hazards from the employees and sees that the hazard is repaired as soon as possible.

The manager consults with this “safety” employee regularly. Each section or department is responsible so see that their areas are safe and free from hazards for the customers and their fellow employees. We reward the staff of those sections for being safety conscience.

Are the first aid kits available to all employees?

Yes, but we remind them that these boxes are not their personal medicine cabinets.

Are the shopping aisles safe?

Yes we have designed the surface and widths of these aisles to be free from obstructions. We especially watch hoses in the aisles and standing water and eliminate them or mark those hazards right away.

Wal-Mart has introduced these spill stations in their new store look. We will adopts these stations and place several of them near chemical and fertilizers concentrated displays.

How about the safety in the parking areas? It can get quite congested in the parking areas.

Yes, it can be even quite dangerous with lots of customers doing lots of things with their purchases of plants and plant care products. We assign the carry-out staff to patrol the area and help to keep it safe. In the heat of the season, we employ parking lot attendants to assist in directing traffic in these areas. We employ a private parking lot sweeper company to keep the parking areas clean. We then finish off the remaining lot, the sidewalks and the general site by blowing those areas each morning before the beginning of the business day.

There are a lot of out buildings at green garden gates. Are those areas well lighted and ventilated to prevent falls on a darkened day or health issues on a very hot day?

Yes, we make sure of that. The areas that could be a problem are well lighted for grey cloudy days. and for evening shopping. Also, these areas are designed to be ventilated to avoid customer overheating

Do you have regular safety meeting on specific topics?

Yes, for example, subjects on operating a golf cart or the proper method of lifting.

Each section leader is required to give a short oral pre-prepared oral presentation on the subject of the week to all the employees and they sign off on completion. This is placed in the employee’s file. The “safety” employee coordinates these meetings and gathers the documentation.

What are the rewards for employees when the store has an outstanding safety record for the season?

They are rewarded with a gift certificate to a nice restaurant in the community, or tickets to movies, or an amount for shopping at a department store.

What are the benefits to the store with a good safety record?

The benefits can be enormous. An injury free workplace can reduce our insurance premiums and our workman’s compensation premiums and ratings. We avoid costly lawsuits and settlements from injured customers. We also avoid the loss of a valuable employee who stays healthy and free from injury during the season. The loss of a valuable employee can hurt the most in the middle of a busy gardening season.

What happens with an unruly, disruptive customer? How is that handled to keep the customers and employees safe?

During the season, there will be incidents with customers who may become agitated for variety of different reasons. All employees, as part of training are instructed how to deal with them. The store manager, floor manager, and the section leaders take a course each season on unruly to violent people. Most of the situations can be resolved with the employee and the customer and there is no need to go further. Sometimes they exchanges will spiral out of control and further intervention is needed. We have established a code for this when the employee needs help immediately from the manager or floor manager. The employee then moves away to a supportive role attending to other customers and directing them away from the incident. An employee, who has had police training, may be called to help or other male employees who can handle the employee physically if needed. The manager or the floor manager, if unable to calm the confrontation, are to call the police. Then it becomes a matter of trying to stabilize the person until they arrive. The key is fast response from the employee to the manager and the manager to the police

What about robberies?

Our training each spring for all employees is to bring in a policeman who is familiar with the patterns of a robbery and robber. We make every effort to minimize “spooking” the robber or causing unnecessary commotion during the act. Our employees are instructed to follow their instructions to the letter. The employee has no other obligations, just pay attention to the robber. This robbery will most likely take just a number of seconds and it is over. Hopefully, it goes off without a hitch. Employees are instructed to observe the robbery, and observe the robber if it is safe to do so. They are to write down everything that they observed immediately after the incident is over. The key to this is let the robber control the situation. Do not add stress or confusion during the incident.

What is the training for burglaries that have been discovered in the morning?

Our spring training instructs the employee who finds the burglary to move away from the scene, leave the premises and go to a safe place, away and out of the property, call the manager and then call the police . There is a danger, however slight, that the burglary is still in progress. The area is taped off if it is confined to one location. Simple to operate cameras are available at the emergency stations to take lots of pictures of the scene without disrupting the area. Employees arriving are to search their sections for any evidence of a burglary. The most damaging action our employee can take is to disrupt the burglary scene before it is cleared by the police authorities.

Some of the green garden gates stores are in areas with extreme weather shifts; heavy downpours of rain, violent thunderstorms or even tornados. How are the employees instructed to handle this?

Of course, it never fails that one of these weather incidents will occur right in the middle of the spring with hundreds of customers milling about.........................

First, we have had all our buildings and coverings evaluated by experts as to which of them are suitable for the sheltering people during violent weather patterns. A verbal alert is broadcasted to all employees through their walkies. They are instructed about the weather incident and if they should be moving customers out of the open areas and into the safe buildings on the site. They receive instructions by the walkies when the pattern passes. Section leaders are instructed to close doors and batten down the hatches in their area, if time permits. Following the incident, all employees are to look for damage and dangerous areas and report them to their section leaders and on to the manager or her assistant. Repairs are then made if possible or cordoned off from the customers. The business day resumes. We have designed the buildings and ground with weather problems in mind. For example, there are no large trees in the display areas because of the danger of falling debris during the storms

How about injuries and health incidents to the employees and customers at the store?

Injuries and health emergencies will occur in our garden center. It is a fact. Employees are trained in the early spring on how to handle these incidents. Guidelines, supplies, and contact information are housed in the emergency stations. We follow the guidelines of the Red Cross in these situations. Cameras are available to note the scene of the injury or health emergency. We train our employees to have a swift response to these emergencies and get the victims to additional care as fast as possible.

There are heavy equipment vehicles and other technical equipment at the store. How do you keep the operation of these vehicles and equipment safe?

First, any person operating our heavy equipment, such as loaders, bobcats and forklifts much go through a nationally recognized safety operating training program and become certified to use the equipment safely. Since, on rare occasions, they may be operating this equipment on public roadways (unloading trucks in a street or driving across a street); all employee operators must have a valid driver’s license and insurance. The “safety” employee is responsible for monitoring the operation of these vehicles and insuring that they are maintained as safe. Other rolling stock such as our golf carts do not require a driver’s license since they are operated off public roads and rights of way, but we do required a safety course for them done in house. Any vehicles, such as our company van, require the necessary driver’s license and insurance.

We have equipment that require some specialized training, such as operating our soil mixing machines. We do this training in the early spring before opening. People not trained do not operate the equipment.

Plants need to be sprayed for insects and diseases in a garden store. Tell us about this?

We do have a spray program and equipment for this purpose. We have sent two of our employees to be certified to apply these products safely. We have a lead employee who does most of the application and a backup employee for heavy workloads or in case of absences. All of our employees are given training on the use of chemicals, working around chemicals, and chemical spills that may occur at the store.

How do you handle a disruptive or terminated employee?

The most dangerous and threatening person in a garden store is an employee. Yes, that is what I said. Here are the reasons for this statement

The employee is familiar with the physical site. The employee knows the common exit and entrance points and the secret ways to get in and out of the facility, the low fences, the doors and gates that are not always locked. He or she knows the hidden away nooks and crannies to hide,

The employee is familiar with the hours of operation, when the store is busy and quiet and when there are more or less employees on staff.

The employee knows where the tools are located to get into the facilities and the location of tools that could be used as weapons.

The employee knows where the management is located and who will take charge of an incident and direct the process.

The employee has general or specific knowledge of where the money is located, how the process of money is counted and secured, and when large amounts of cash are stored in the facility.

The employee knows other employees and how they will react to an incident.

Some employees have access codes to the store and keys that will allow them in the facility. Some even have combinations to the safe. They also have codes to computers to access and disable important data.

We place a lot of trust in our employees, often too much trust. At green garden gates, we have developed specific procedures to protect us and keep us safe in the event of an employee issue

The Disgruntled of Unstable Employee

Your employees have any number and kinds of personal crises in their lives, relationships, finances, accidents, illnesses and just awful tragedies. The workplace can be a cauldron for an employee just losing an ability to cope any longer. We charge our manager with the responsibility of staying very close to the employee ,watching for a change in the work patterns and the attitudes and approach to customers and fellow employees.

We encourage other employees to be alert to these changes and alert the manager of this unusual behavior. We charge our managers to do what it takes to ease the pressure on an affected employee, extra days or hours away from the workplace, short term financial help or a different job assignment to allow them to renew their coping skills. None of these remedies may work. Here is our checklist for this employee incident

1. The manager and the floor manager or section leader (no more than two people) sit down with the employee in a calming private setting and discuss the behavior of the employee. It has been our experience that no matter how agitated the employee, that person will agree to a sit down. If there is potential violence possible at any time during the process, the police are alerted immediately.

2. Attempt to find a quick solution to the behavior; leave for the rest of the day, assign other work, or if the behavior is drastic, an immediate termination. Monitor the solution carefully if the employee is allowed to stay in the workplace and take more action if the behavior continues

3. If there is no workplace solution and the employee must be terminated, inform him or her of the termination in no uncertain terms and take the following action;

4. Ask for their keys to the building and equipment. Do not exacerbate the charged atmosphere by demanding they remove articles of uniform clothing.

5. Inform them of when they will get their final paycheck. DO NOT KEEP THEM IN THE BUILDING FILLING OUT TERMINATION PAPERWORK.

6. Escort the employee to gather their most personal effects, purses, vehicle keys, etc. DO NOT DRAG THIS OUT. Inform them that any found personal will be collected and stored safely. Tell them that someone will call them to set up a time to pick up these stored belongings. Inform them that they are not allowed to enter the site

7. Escort the employee out of the buildings and off the premises (two people for the escort).

8. Inform the section leaders of this action and advise the section leaders to inform their employees. All the employees need to know is that the employee is not longer working at the store. That’s it.

9. Soon, have a debriefing with all the section leaders to discuss the detail of the incident and what procedures need to be improved for these incidents.

During all of this process, maintain a composed demeanor and a calming non-confrontation approach. Be pleasant and understanding. Never, never get angry, never be-little, never humiliate, never embarrass. This is all business. It is not personal.

Involuntary Termination

Sometimes, for any number of reasons, an employee just does not fit in the company. The choice is to terminate the employee. Many of the same procedures of the disgruntled employee are to be used with this employee. The atmosphere, in most cases, is more civil, but has potential danger, nonetheless. The employee may start to “boil up” into a disgruntled person. It is up to the discretion of the manager to gauge the situation.

The first cardinal rule of involuntary and disruptive termination is to terminate immediately and remove the employee from the premises immediately.

The second cardinal rule is to give no reasons for the termination. Say as little as possible. Don’t get into the reasons for termination at all. Don’t have any other conversations about anything with them except procedures.

Store Manager: “John, It’s just not working out here at Green Garden Gates. We are going to terminate your employment with us and let you go immediately.” You will be paid for your work on this day…….any personal items will be collected and kept safe……etc.

Employee: “Why am I being fired?

Store Manager: “What I can say to you is that it is just not working out. I want to thank you for your work here. I am sorry it did not work out” Now, Bonnie, the floor manager will go with you to retrieve some personal items you need right away".

The Voluntary Termination/Resignation

This is the least stressful of all the employee separations. It can be mixed with much sadness for both the employee and the manager. The reasons are many; the employee has another job, is moving away, a lifestyle change, a tragedy in life. This is not the place to ask why or conduct an exit interview. This is not the place to negotiate with the employee Sometimes the employee is only threatening to quit in order to seek more money or a better job in the business. It is too late for all of that.

The manager needs to express good feelings about the employees work and his or her sadness in the resignation, but don’t start engaging in a conversation about the reasons. Explain to them the exit procedures. Invite them to visit the store occasionally. No need to be harsh. Make it easy for the both of you.

Generally, we do not like the “two week notice” process. We have found that the employee who is “getting short” lacks enthusiasm and productivity. Those two weeks of retention also may have an effect on the moral of other employees. We would rather that the company award the employee some “sweet money” right then and there and terminate them immediately. This is a judgment call for the manager. If the employee wants to complete unfinished work that only he or she can do, it may be advantageous to keep that person employed for a very short period of time. We have found it the best to cut the cord right then and there. It sounds heartless and cruel, but we believe that is the best way to handle this situation.

#106 CHECKLISTS * ( revised 6/1) security and theft

Checklist
Security and theft prevention

It is our responsibility, above all, to provide the equipment, a facility, and operating procedures for a secure environment for our customers, employees and vendors. The following is a checklist we follow to insure security and to avoid company theft.

Do you have firm store hours?


Yes, we do not open the doors to green garden gates until the selected time and we close the gates on the selected time. We move customers politely out of the store when the store officially closes.

Opening the store based on who is knocking on the door is a bad idea. Employees need time to prepare for the day and get ready to put their best foot forward. Letting people in early disrupts that time for mental preparation. It is also a dangerous security issue when the store is not fully staffed. Conversely, insisting that employees hang around for the last customer to wander around the flowers past closing time is just awful and also dangerous from a position of security. Stick with your published hours!

What is your method for securing the gates and doors and windows?

We have both automatic and manual gates. The automatic gates close and lock with the automatic mechanisms. The manual gates are locked by hand with a padlock. We have installed good hardware to do this. We do not want to use chains at all in locking our gates. All the doors have keyed bolt locks and twist locks from the inside. There are no locks on the handles. Each section leader is assigned the task of securing the gates, doors, and windows in their own area. A follow-up check is made by the store manager or floor manager at the time of closing.

Who has the keys to the gates and doors of the store?

The manager has the complete set of locks for the building and the grounds. Another complete set is given to each one of the four partners of green garden gates. The manager may designate the floor manager to have a complete set.

We see no reason to have a bunch of employees with keys, since the manager or floor manager is on the premises at all times.


Are the keys common to all locks?

Yes, we have made all the keys common to all the gates and doors, with the exception of the manager’s private residence. We have purchased a set of additional cores and common key padlocks for these locks on our doors and gates.

In the event that all the locks are to be change immediately. That change can be done easily by the manager or floor manager.

Are any extra keys and locks stored in a secure location?

Yes. The extra common lock cores, keys, and padlocks are kept in that manager’s private floor safe.

Who is allowed to enter the store before and after business hours?

There are employees who, at times, will have to have access to the store at odd hours. For example, it may be necessary to accept a late load of product. This can be done with permission of the manager or floor manager. However, no keys will be given to the employee for this purpose. The manager or floor manager will unlock the gates or doors and be present to secure the gates and doors when the task is completed.

Do you have an alarm system?

Yes, we have an alarm system for the store, using both motion and beams. An audible alarm sounds and notifies the manager by telephone or text, as well as the security company. They communicate with each other during the incident as to a plan of action in case of a possible break in.

Who has codes to the alarm?

The manager and floor manager. The codes are also given to one of the four partners of green garden gates charged with overall security responsibility for the stores.

Keys and alarm codes can be difficult for owners when too many people have access to them. We just keep it simple and deny anyone access to green garden gates unless a manager or floor manager is present

Do you have security cameras?

Yes, we have high resolution cameras fixed on the cashier areas, the entrance and exit doors, the safe areas, and the vehicle exit areas. The images are backed up and store for a period of thirty days on the equipment and another thirty days in the server of the local security camera company that services the store. The manager or floor manager and one of the four partners have the access codes to view the real time or history of the cameras.

We use cameras sparingly. They make the employees just plain uncomfortable if they are constantly monitored. The employees must be assured that a manager is not just constantly watching them for violations. That action breeds discontent.

Do you have a safe?

Yes, we have three safes. We have two small round floor safes located near the manager’s day office in the blockhouse. One safe is to store deposits, large amounts of money captured during the sales day and petty cash. The other floor safe is for the manager’s use for private items such as keys, alarm combinations or highly sensitive material. We also have a large combination “gun safe” located also in the first floor of the blockhouse for the storage of cash register tills and extra change.

Gun safes look so darned secure but they are easy to break. Just knock it over and take a skill saw and a carbide blade and saw a hole in the back. Only store change in the gun safe or you will be surprised when you walk in one morning! When installing a floor safe, lace heavily into the concrete around the canister, lots of re-bar so the safe cracker will have to lift up half the concrete floor to get it out.

Where is the money stored?

The tills boxes are stored in the gun safe, along with extra coinage. The paper money for the tills are bundled and stored in the floor safe and removed the next morning to place in the tills for the business of that day.

I would suggest that you do not buy out the bank in change. Try to keep minimum amounts in the gun safe

"I once asked an employee to go to the bank and get a 100 dollars worth of singles. Several hours later she returned with some other employees packing in these big canvas bank sacks. She thought I meant a hundred dollars worth of pennies!"


Who has access to the money in the safes?

The manager or floor manager opens the safe and provides the stored paper currency for the cashier to stock the tills. If there is a reason to store large amounts of money in the floor safes gathered from sales during the day, the manager or floor manager opens the safes and secures that money.

Make the rounds to the tills several times on a busy day to empty the extra cash.

Who has the safe combinations?

The manager and floor manager as well one of the four partners of green garden gates

Who has access to petty cash?

Petty cash is stored in the store floor safe. The manager or floor manager have access to this safe and are responsible for the balance of the petty cash.

It is so easy to hand out petty cash and neglect to account for it. Audit the petty cash often and insure that receipts justify the petty cash disbursement. Theft can occur so easily with petty cash

Who can sign checks and withdraw savings?

The manager can sign checks to a value amount up to 600.00. Any amount larger has to be co-signed by the manager and the professional accountant in the community that has been designated by green garden gates. There are no savings accounts for green garden gates that are accessible to the manager. All draws on any savings accounts are done by approval from one of the four partners assigned to that task.

Who physically deposits the money?

Only the manager or floor manager.


Do you have a night deposit process?

Yes, we use the night deposit all the time. We don’t want cash and deposits around overnight. Night deposits are the responsibility of the manager or her assistant.

For the protection of our employees who night deposit, take a look at the physical night deposit area of the bank. Is it lighted or dark? Is it in a remote location or near traffic and people? Is the employee able to deposit easily from the vehicle? Is the deposit drop near the store or does the employee have to drive a long distance? All of these factors can spell real danger for the employee

When are the night deposits made? Is the night deposit area safe and secure?

They are made at random times during the day and evening to a well lighted deposit drop

An older woman, an owner of a garden store for many years, would always do the deposits after she left work that evening, nearly exactly the same time every day. She would put the bag ( a bright red deposit bag, by the way) into the same outer shopping bag walk out of her store alone in the dark to her car that was parked a long distance from the store. She would drive a long distance to the bank deposit, get out of the car and walk over the deposit bin, fumble with her keys and then drop the bag into the bin. That whole description spells disaster or death for that woman some day

Deposit at different times
Do not walk out of the store alone
Be sure the walking area to the vehicle is well lit
Change up the way the bag is hidden
Drive up and deposit. Never get out of the vehicle
Drive away if something looks suspicious
Have the deposit key ready when you approach the bin


Who counts and balances the daily tills and prepares the deposits?

It is the job of the designated head cashier to count and ready the drawers as well as balance the drawers. The manager or store manager is responsible for auditing the money, balancing the daily sales and signing off on the accuracy of the balancing and counting. The manager is responsible for preparing the deposits, with the help of the head cashier. All handling of money is done behind a locked door with limited or no access.

A word about balancing and preparing the tills. Some owners insist that the tills are to be balanced and the next days prepared at the end of the day. This is the wrong time to do this when the employee is tired from a long day. Close out the day sometime in the afternoon to allow balancing and preparing while the employee is fresh and alert. Extra till boxes can be purchased to accommodate loading for the next day.

Who has access to the computer data stored in our equipment?

Our store computers store the entire range of current and historical data about the operation of green garden gates of Oklahoma and, in fact our entire store network. There are elaborate filters of this material that allow all employees to view only the parts of the data needed for their specific tasks. Only the manager has ability to view the entire store data and some critical data from other stores for her comparisons. Employees who have responsibilities and need specific information are allowed at a certain level and not any farther. Their personal access codes allow them to enter those levels. Customers also have an access code that will let them into gardening information and internet sites only. The nursery manager can view his or her orders arriving and the sales for the department. Cashiers can view till balancing records. Processors of plants can view the numbers of amounts of work that has been done or needed to be done.

Are the computer records backed up off site?

Yes, a contracted server company automatically backs up the date the instant it is entered into the computer. That company can recover the data instantly in case of a malfunction at the store. Also, the backup will be stored at the main hub office of green garden gates.

Are the computers safe from personal use?

All employees of green garden gates are not allowed to use our computers for personal use, with the exception of viewing internet sites that are related to gardening. The manager has some flexibility on this matter with a broader definition of work and research performed by employees for the green garden gates.

Where are hard copy business and financial records stored? Are they secured properly?

Hard copies of the general store records are stored in the manager’s personal residence in a storage room designed for that purpose. There are only hard copies of employee records and they are stored under lock and key in that same storage space in the manager’s personal residence. Keys to this locked information are given to the partner designee assigned to personnel issues.

Who has access to store financial records?

Only the manager of the particular store, the designated local accountant and the partner assigned to the financial business of green garden gates. The manager also has access to the records of other green garden gates in the network.

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Do you have charge accounts at green garden gates?
We do not. All sales are cash, check, debit or credit card.

In these days of credit, debit and gift cards, we see absolutely no need to ramp up our staff to maintain charge accounts

Who reviews the payables?

Payables are review and approved by the store manager in consultation with a designated assistant and overseen by one of the four partners and the designated local accountant.

Some garden stores owners freely allow all employees to see the daily sales figures of the store. They believe that with this information, the employees are spurred on to increase the sales. This is bad business. It advertises to the employees and to gossip with their friends about the amount of money passing through the store each day. That information can lead to a robbery or burglary or another kind of theft for a person desperate for cash.



Who balances and reconciles the checkbook?

The store manager in consultation with the local accounting firm and overseen by one of the four partners.

Is there an internal audit done at the store?

Yes, we conduct frequent outsourced spot internal audits throughout the season and a full outsourced accounting audit at the end of each season.


Do you use and communicate code words to the staff if there is a security danger?

Yes, we have devised a few simple phrases for security problems; robbery, unruly customers etc.

All employees have walkies for communication. When they hear, for example the words “the birds are in the trees” they know to move directly where the money is stored and stay there until they are notified to leave. Some robbers can fleece a store of money so easily by disrupting the routine of employees and it can happen within minutes.

"My little garden store got hit twice by a band of gypsies that work the area. They were after money and personal valuables and they are stunningly slick on how they do it. They arrive in several carloads with lots of small children and fan out all over the store. They pretend to speak no English, cause great commotion and draw the all the employees away from places where the money is located, back rooms, employee lockers, spare till storage and checkout registers. Several of the group then move toward those areas and grab what is visible and move off. The rest will follow, load up the cars and leave. This all happens in a flash, no more than fifteen minutes.

After those incidents, I devised a plan. When they arrive, I relay a coded message to all employees. Each person has been pre-assigned a money or valuables source area to secure. They go to the area and stand there until the all clear is given. The manager and floor manager then handles their issues on the floor. Soon they see that those areas are secured and they leave. Works like a charm."

Sally Mantrus
garden store owner
Indiana

Do you use shoppers to spot security concerns?

Yes, we have developed a small network of customers who are trained to look for security issues. They are invited to the store frequently for a general or specific observation that we have concerns about. They are given gift certificates to various community businesses for their work. The manager is the only person who knows the shoppers, their schedules for store visits, and their tasks at the store.

We recognize that statistically, thirty percent of employees steal from their employer and that sixty percent of employees, under stress of financial need and given the right opportunity, will steal from their employer. Our goal at green garden gates is to reduce the opportunities for employee theft and more importantly, with policies and procedures, protect our employees from the suspicion of theft. We understand that some of our employees may get into financial trouble. We stay close to to our employees and are available to help them financially in various ways. This attention to employees can make the difference between an honest employee or an honest and hard working employee who was forced to steal.

green garden gates allows their customers to access the parking lot before the store is opened. What about employee accessing the main store before the opening of the store?

We have designated one entrance door into the retail store for the employees. It is locked before store opening and can be accessed by the employees "g-card". (the g-card is discussed in entry #115, time clocks. If the employee leaves the company, the computer system is immediately re-set to void any functions of that particular g-card.

How can we trust our store manager?

First, we screen potential managers carefully. Since this position has the most exposure for employee theft, we seek and expect the highest honest standards. We interview previous employers extensively, search and analyze their personal backgrounds and score their financial and emotional stability. The potential candidates submit to a battery of tests, which includes a profile of honesty. We set policies and procedures that require direct overseeing of store operations; store receipts, inventory control, accounts payable and payroll management. We audit the pattern of personal spending of our managers in order to spot unusual purchases or acquisitions of personal items outside the range of their salary capability. We pay attention to their adherence to theft preventative policies for their employees. We conduct spot store audits of their store operations.

Do you have an ethical conduct theft policy and is it posted for all to see?

Yes, we outline in the document what constitutes stealing from green garden gates and the consequences for them with this bad behavior. We explain why it is important for each employee to notify the manager of such activity of a fellow employee and to inform them about safeguards we will use to shield that employee from retribution. We are firm in this document that green garden gates has “zero tolerance” for employee theft.

Do you remind employees of the cost of theft to the business and to their personal jobs?

We emphasize this in the employee manuals and as part of the ethical conduct policy that is posted. We want them to understand that theft can hurt their direct personal paycheck, sometimes dramatically

Who can enter the store complex before and after business hours?

The entering of the complex other than business hours is strictly forbidden for employees, vendors, truckers, and outside service people without the express permission of the manager or floor manager or in the case of an extreme emergency. Absence an emergency, if any of them is required to enter the store, they must be accompanied by the manager or floor manager.

Are codes, keys, and passwords tightly controlled?

Yes


Are store tools, equipment and operating supplies tightly controlled?

Yes, each section leader of a specific area of the store is issued a small toolbox. That section leader is responsible for those tools. Larger hand tools are controlled by the specific section leader and he or she is responsible for all of them.

We make every effort to avoid “borrowing” tools from one place to another in the store. Tools just end up getting lost very fast. It cost a little more in initial purchasing but there is good payback in keeping the tools from getting lost or stolen.

Are all purchases made at the registers?

Yes, no transactions for product purchases are made unless they go through a cash register. All employees and customers must go through the cash register when making purchases.

Lots of money has been stolen from companies that allow employees to take money transactions away from registers alone in a corner somewhere. Our store shoppers especially watch for this activity

Do you allow employee friends “visiting” them while they are working at the store?

Yes. However the manager monitors the frequency and length of time of the visitors.

A visit from friend at the store is almost always innocent. However, sometime it can be an opportunity for the friend to “case” the place in order to jump the fence that night to steal. We watch this activity closely

How about discarded products? How is the “dumpster diving” controlled?

Each section leader, under the watchful eye of the store manager and floor manager, is allowed to discard product that is not salable. Those products are placed near the discard area for any employee to use personally. We make every effort to watch for good products discarded and later gathered by employees. Discards are recorded immediately and monitored for patterns of product discards.

How about the personal use of company computers, fax machines, copy machines, telephone use, etc?

Each employee has access to this equipment on a limited basis. They are issued a code to access that activity and it is recorded. Long distance calls on company telephones require the express permission of the manager or floor manager.

How about the use of other company equipment, tools, machines, vehicles?

No piece of equipment can be used outside the workplace without the express permission of the manager or floor manager.

How about cheating on the time clock?

We have installed a modern time management system in the green garden gates stores that monitors carefully any discrepancies. Each employee is assigned a personal code for the time clock and must have the g-card in his or her possession to record the hours worked. Loaning the g-card to another employee to “punch me in” is immediate grounds for dismissal. Any mistakes or failure to clock is reconciled and approved by the manager or floor manager during that business day

How do you control “rat holeing”?

Rat holeing is a practice where employees store away in a secret location at the store, products and plants that he or she would like to purchase but must wait until they have the money to pay for it. We forbid rat holeing. All products must be purchased that day at the registers.

How about property of the store that is issued to employees for their work tasks?

All the items, uniforms, tools, walkie talkies etc are recorded and kept in the employee’s file. We require them to sign a statement that they have received this merchandise and the cost to them if the items are damaged needlessly or lost. When the employee leaves green garden gates, the final check is not issued until this merchandise is accounted for.

What is the role of “silent shoppers” in the control of employee theft?

We use them. We make it clear to all employees that shoppers may be in the store from time to time and they will take action and set up situations to test the employees honesty.

How about theft by employees to other employees?

We require that all personal items be stored in their locked lockers or those items be stored in their locked vehicles during the working hours. We make it understood that the employees with be monetarily fined if personal items are found around the store rather than in their lockers or in their vehicles. There are exceptions to this. For example, coats or boots that have to be removed and later put on during the workday.

Who watches the store manager? Who watches the floor manager?

These two people, especially the store manager, have total keys to the city. They are in the best position to take from green garden gates in lots of ways. We charge the manager with monitoring the activities of the floor manager at all times. We charge the local accountant, and the partners of green garden gates with the monitoring of the business activities of the manager. If either one has knowledge of nefarious activity of the other and that activity is unreported, they will be terminated immediately and ushered to the door as soon as one of the partners can be at the store to take the action.

#105 DESIGNING THE STORE * (revised 2/2) watering the plants

Too often, owners who build new stores get caught up on the gadgets and fancy stuff that are sold as “the latest cutting edge” products. An irrigation system is one of those categories that can foster wasted money outlays for those needless new technologies.

We have devised some basic rules for our irrigation plan at green garden gates. The irrigation plan and systems would be:

1. Simple.

Nothing elaborate or exotic. We use materials and methods that are time tested in garden stores. Let someone else test out the new stuff. We want a tried and true system that is economical and does the job

2. Efficient

The plan will get the plants watered using the least amount of resources; energy, water consumption, and labor. We want to place the water where it belongs, directly on the plants, not on curbs and sidewalks. We do not want a bunch of labor dollars to get this accomplished

3. Easily repaired and maintained

We can keep the system operating with minimum maintenance and repair with little assistance from outside sources. Calling an irrigation contractor can run up the expenses very fast. We need a system that we can repair and maintain ourselves.

4. Versatile

Often plant varieties change and the location of plants change. We want a system that can be moved and adapted on a moments notice with little effort.

Our plan begins with a hookup to the water sources available. (See detail A). At green garden gates, we have both city water (3) and our own well system (2) that was available on the property when we purchased the land. We have piped the well to a main connection point near the street (10). Next, we contracted to have the community install a water supply to also feed to this connection point. This city hookup is generally installed in an underground manhole (1). If there is a malfunction in our private well, there is a sensor along our piping (7) that shifts the water flow from the well to the public water. In our case and in most cases this city water is metered and much more costly to us than our well, so public water is only used when the well becomes disabled for some reason.

Here are a few tips in connecting to city water. Most municipalities charge what is called a “capitalization fee” or a “cap fee” for new public water use. It is based on the size of pipe that is delivered to the property and can cost thousands of dollars to the owner just for the hookup. There is also the construction of the hookup which may or may not be included in the “cap fee”. The fee can skyrocket when the choice is between a three inch pipe and a five inch pipe, so be careful to choose the pipe size needed, but also understand that if you undersize, it will cost more money to tear it all up again and put in a larger pipe. We have chosen a three inch pipe to be delivered since city water will only be used for emergencies. Here is another little trick to watch out for. Some cities attach a sewer fee to the water bill, assuming that all water goes to a sewer. That can run up a big bill with nearly all the water use just going for plants and not down a toilet into the sewer. To avoid this, be sure a separate meter is installed for irrigation water and domestic water and be certain that a sewer charge is not tacked onto the irrigation water. In some cases, if you have only one water meter, you will have to negociate the percentage of water that is used for toilets and what is used for irrigation. Watch out for this!

Near the connection hub, we have installed two ball valves (4-5) that will cut off the entire irrigation water system in the property. The city will have their own cut off valve for their water system in their connection, but we want the ability to close off our water and the city water without relying on others to do this.

We use two valves to insure a cut off if one ball valve should fail. It is money well spent if a huge water break occurs in the system. These ball valves are heavy duty brass and steel. When a three inch pipe breaks, there is a hell of a lot of water shooting high into the air and flooding everything. We need to get it cut off fast.

Next, we installed a connection (6) so the entire irrigation system can be “blown out” and drained of water for the winter. Also we have threaded opening (9) that will released any remaining water to still remains in the system

This is a standard connection used by irrigation companies. We contract this blowout rather than buying the expensive equipment to get this done. Our staff turns the water on in the spring, but we rely on a professional to blow the system out for the winter. Be sure that the piping from (1) is sloped to (9) to drain any excess water.

From the connection point of the two water sources we attach to a three inch white PVC irrigation pipe (8).

We use schedule 20 PVC white pipe for the large “mother line” and lighter gauge more economical PVC white pipe for the smaller lines. White PVC pipe is economical to purchase at many locations (it is often on sale), it is easy to use, fits properly, and is very versatile.

We loop a large capacity pipe around the entire outer edge of our property #B. This and the other pipes are ABOVE GROUND.

Ok, Lets talk about placing the irrigation pipe in the ground or keeping it above the ground. Yes, it is certainly neat and pretty to bury the lines out of sight. But it never fails; every spring and I mean every spring in most garden centers right in the heat of season with hundreds of customers shopping, there is a backhoe or a bunch of employees with shovels wallowing around in the mud and dirt, digging holes right in the display areas trying to find and repair broken pipes, bad valves or cut electrical wires damaged from the previous winter. You can count on this disruption every season. Owners who bury lines and connections will tell you fairytales about the need to bury; the pipes and connections will get destroyed by the sun and elements if they sit above ground or customers will trip and fall over the pipes. That is all nonsense. Sure, the sun will do some damage over the years, but that is easily fixed if the pipes and connections are easy to get at. Sure, customers will trip over lines if the owner is not careful to avoid these problems in the design of the system. We have taken into account the problems of above ground lines and equipment in our plan.

Next we built a second and third loop #C and #D of pipes inside the first major loop. So, the main line #B is the “mother line” delivering the full amount and pressure from the connection point. Lines #C and #D are smaller pipes. Next, there are interconnecting smaller pipes that weave through the courtyard area to feed water to each display bin.

Here are two things to remember in irrigation. First, more water pressure will be available if the pipes continue to get smaller as the water travels to the plants. Second, if the pipes are looped, the water pressure will remain even and constant rather than running a pipe out to a dead end. We will size down from the three inch mother line to two inches to one inch pipe or even one-half inch line at the point of delivery to the plants.

We have pre-installed hand operated ball valve cut-offs #F along the looped lines and a number of threaded “T” connections along the looped lines.

These cut offs are really handy if there is a break or malfunction in one of the lines. You can isolate the problem and cut the water to that area and still continue watering in other areas of the store. They are cheap to install. We use the plastic ball valves for this purpose because they are used rarely. The “T’s” have been installed in numerous locations along the looped lines so we can connect a feeder line from these points to avoid cutting frequently into the main loops.

We will be using a rather sophisiticated timer and simple durable valves system to allow water to the lines in the store. The electrical wires to the valves will be installed and taped to the looped pipes above ground.

There will be some sun damage by keeping the electrical wire above ground, but it can be easily located and repaired. Also, we can add more electrical wire easily as we expand the system.

There are many places in the system (#E) where short parts of pipes will have to be placed underground for the safety and convenience of our customers; under driving paths, gates and walkways. (See the yellow pipes in the lines on the diagram)

These pipes need to be given maximum protection from breakage. We sheath the irrigation pipe in a larger pipe that is heavy duty PVC or steel. We also run the pipe clean, avoiding any connections that would be sheathed in the outer protection pipe. We want no breaks in this underground piping or glue coming loose in a connection underground. Some of the sheathes for the live irrigation pipe are oversized to accommodate several pipes to run water spikets directly from the looped lines. We can then cover the pipe and sheathes so they can be walked or driven over.

Next, we establish “irrigation zones” for watering the plants and assigned an electrical valve and wire it along the looped lines to control the particular zones. We then install the main timer for the zones.

The valves can be operated by hand or remotely operated. We can use a remote instrument so we do not have to run all over the site turning valves off and or to spot water or to fix a problem with a line. Likewise, the entire timer, which is installed in a weather protected convenient place, can be operated remotely from anywhere in the site. This technology saves much time and effort. One feature of the timer is that it will sense water flow running through the pipes. If the timer notes that the system is not watering anywhere on the site or an excessive amount of water is running through the lines, it signals a audible alarm and calls the manager by telephone that a break in the line is possible. We believe that will help in detecting breaks for example, in the middle of the night.

Now that the lines and valves and timer are in place, it is time to install the watering heads for the plants. We use only oscillating heads for large areas of irrigation.

Throw away the impulse irrigation heads. Half the water ends up evaporating in the air and never gets to the plants. It is a foolish way to waste money. The plants do not get watered well and everything you want dry gets wet. Oscillating heads give an even penetrating delivery of water that can be adjusted for flow, volume and direction.

We use common “shrub heads on plastic riser pipe to water smaller areas.

Shrub heads and plastic pipe risers are cheap and easy to find in any hardware store. They are adaptable and adjustable. When you start purchasing the parts for the shrub heads and all the irrigation heads and hardware, decided on a brand and stick with the brand..We will choose between Rainbird or Nelson irrigation supplies

We attach the risers and irrigation heads to the looped and feeder pipes.

Let’s talk about glue and threading…..In the large pipe connections as in the “T’s” from the main mother line, we will thread the pipe, using Teflon tape for a leak proof fit. We also will thread and Teflon the connections from the spray heads to the riser pipes and the riser pipes to the main lines. However, in most other places, including the fitting together of the main PVC looped lines, we will glue the pipe using “purple primer” and a water resistant “blue glue”. It is more labor saving to cut the pipe and glue in a slip joint when changing or repairing connections, rather than fooling around with threading connections. Using glue is fast and durable and you can be up and running in less than thirty minutes! (Forget about the manufacturer wanting set up time for an hour or more on these smaller connections)

What about drip irrigation at your stores?

Yes, we use drip irrigation quite extensively. Primarily, we use it for all of our hanging baskets. Overhead along the rafters the walkway houses, the connector houses and some in the gazebos, we run the feeder lines from nearest irrigation loops. We have installed a sand filter for the drip lines to keep them clean of debris. We have installed connection points in all our plant display areas where a permanent or temporary Dosmatic fertilizer feeders can pump food into the lines of all of our plant material at green garden gates or through the drip lines and onto the hanging baskets.

dosmatic.com

It is amazing to see the results of the performance of hanging baskets with regular feedings by a Dosmatic in the retail garden stores. The money spent for these Dosmatics brings huge rewards in customer satisfaction of our plants.

Keeping the tubes operating is an ongoing maintenance issues. We assign our section leaders in each area to monitor the operation of these drip lines and direct one employee to repair the lines as needed.

What about spot watering with spikets and hoses?

Yes, we have attached and installed live spikets on the live irrigation piping before the valves that operate the particular zones. In some cases, we have used a separate line run directly off the looped lines to keep them live, if it is easier to do.

Now we have a complete, versatile, economical irrigation system ready to go which can be easily repaired, replaced and maintained by our staff and give years of service. Be smart about irrigation. You will be living with these plant watering decisions for a long time