For Wheeler Machinery Co., Utah’s largest CAT equipment dealer, this wasn’t just a communication issue. It was a business issue. Safety incidents were up, employee engagement was low, and productivity wasn’t where it needed to be. Leadership knew something had to change.
By partnering with Tyfoom, Wheeler discovered a whole new way to train, engage, and communicate through safety training videos that ultimately made the company safer, more efficient, and yes – more profitable.
The Problem: Apathy and Muddled Communication
Wheeler’s safety team, led by long-time Safety Manager Troy Worthen, was facing resistance from the inside. “We would dread safety shares,” Worthen said. “Employees were apathetic and half of them were falling asleep during these meetings. It was awful.”
DOT Compliance Manager Michelle McDermaid shared a similar concern: even when leadership recognized a trend – like an uptick in back injuries – they had no way to act quickly. “We’d say, ‘We need training on this’…but it wouldn’t happen until the following year. That delay cost us.”
And then there was the email problem.
An internal study revealed that more than half of Wheeler’s workforce wasn’t even reading company emails, including messages from the president. “It was scary,” McDermaid said. “You take all this time to put an important update together, and most people never see it.”
A Platform That Clicked (Literally and Figuratively)
After meeting with Tyfoom, Wheeler decided to roll out the platform with a focus on four problem areas: engagement, accountability, communication and documentation.
Leadership expected hiccups with adoption, but the implementation was seamless. “We thought we’d have 100 people confused about how to get the app,” said Worthen. “But there were no real issues.” McDermaid added, “It was the easiest implementation process we’ve ever had.”
Once Tyfoom was in place, it didn’t take long to see results.
Engagement Went Through the Roof
Tyfoom’s approach to safety training videos was a hit with employees. Instead of sitting through long meetings, they could absorb short, targeted training right from their phones. Wheeler produced nearly 150 safety training videos in the first year alone – covering everything from PPE and driver safety to pedestrian awareness.
The response? Over 95% of employees watched videos within 24 hours of release.
“The idea of making videos was intimidating at first,” McDermaid said. “But it’s actually easy – and quick. You can shoot a video, edit it and send it out in minutes.”
Employees got involved, too. One warehouse team noticed office staff wandering into hazardous areas and made their own safety training video on pedestrian awareness. Another store had employees’ kids record messages about why their parents should come home safe each day. “That kind of personal touch has a huge impact,” McDermaid said.
This is the power behind short-form safety training videos: simple, human and easy to act on.
Productivity Took Off
Before Tyfoom, creating safety content required emails, approvals and meetings. Now, team members film short videos, get approval and share them instantly. Safety suggestions that used to take weeks now take minutes.
And Tyfoom didn’t just streamline training – it boosted team participation and idea sharing. “There’s a new energy around safety,” Worthen said. “We’ve generated excitement, which is tough to do in our line of work.”
Gamification helped, too. Tyfoom’s built-in competition and social recognition features keep things fun and fresh. “We thought they’d use it just because we asked them to,” Worthen admitted. “But they’re genuinely into it. They’re competing. They’re learning.”
Unsurprisingly, safety training videos become most effective when integrated into a platform that encourages interaction instead of passivity.
Incidents Went Down. Way Down.
With Tyfoom in place, Wheeler didn’t just increase training – it made it faster and more relevant. If a safety issue popped up – say, an increase in back injuries – managers could respond with a safety training video that day instead of a year later.
And it worked.
Wheeler saw a significant drop in injury frequency rates, which directly improved its Experience Modification Rate (EMR) – a key metric that affects insurance premiums and the company’s ability to win bids. Fewer injuries. Lower EMR. More competitive pricing.
“Because of Tyfoom, we’re a safer, more productive workplace,” Worthen said.
Communication Became Clear – and Immediate
Tyfoom gave Wheeler something it had never had before: real-time, company-wide communication.
“Before, employees in branch stores always felt disconnected,” said McDermaid. “They got updates last, if at all. Now, everyone gets the same message at the same time.”
Leadership also started sending updates featuring company executives to create a stronger connection between corporate and field teams. “Our employee satisfaction scores have gone up,” Worthen noted. “People feel seen. They feel in the loop.”
Better Visibility, Better Leaders
One unexpected bonus? Tyfoom gave leadership insight into who was actually engaged.
With full visibility into who watches what and when, managers could offer support to employees falling behind, and spotlight those consistently stepping up.
“It helped us identify future leaders,” Worthen said. Some employees assumed to be high performers weren’t all in. Others who flew under the radar turned out to be rock stars.
Safety training videos delivered through Tyfoom don’t just check compliance boxes, they reveal who’s truly invested in the company’s success.
Documentation That Protects the Business
From OSHA to DOT, safety documentation is critical in the heavy equipment industry. Tyfoom gave Wheeler a simple, centralized place to store everything.
When OSHA requested training records after an incident, Wheeler could pull up everything instantly. “We had over a year’s worth of documented, consistent training,” Worthen recalled. “That protected us from more severe repercussions and saved us a lot of money in fines.”
The ROI? Tangible and Transformational
Since rolling out Tyfoom, Wheeler has:
- Reduced safety incidents
- Lowered its EMR
- Improved productivity
- Increased employee engagement
- Strengthened internal communication
- Reduced insurance premiums
All through the use of smart, consistent safety training videos that employees actually want to watch.
“Tyfoom helped us become a more competitive business,” said Worthen. “And it’s made safety fun again.”
That’s the kind of impact that doesn’t just improve a company – it transforms it.
Want to engage your workforce, reduce incidents and protect your bottom line? You don’t need complicated systems or clunky training sessions. You just need the right approach.
Tyfoom’s safety training videos help teams learn faster, communicate better, and build safer, stronger workplaces every day. Learn how you can enjoy the same results as Wheeler Machinery by scheduling a meeting to speak with a Tyfoom training consultant.