NATIONAL FORKLIFT
SAFETY DAY
12 A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO DC VELOCITYmeasures right away, Lego says. A safety culture willgive similar weight to developing a long-term action planto prevent similar problems from occurring in the future.
Information about the incident as well as the short-and long-term solutions should be shared across theorganization so people can learn from each other andwork with accurate information, not hearsay, he adds.
Among the most important ways co-workers canhelp each other be safe is to speak up when theysee a hazard or unsafe behavior. But most people arereluctant to approach a co-worker—especially someonethey may not know well—with what may be perceivedas a criticism.
Behavior-based safety programs leverage humanpsychology to overcome that obstacle and encouragecollaboration. These voluntary programs empoweremployees to speak to each other about risky behaviorand provide positive reinforcement when they see safebehavior. A key success factor for this type of programis that employees both understand and are accountablefor the consequences of their behavior.
Crown has had an employee-run behavior-basedprogram, called SafeSteps, in place for about 10 years.When they speak with co-workers, the volunteerobservers (many of Crown’s warehouse and factoryemployees currently participate) use positive languageto express concerns about people’s safety, Duffy says.This includes discussing the consequences of unsafeactions and their potential impact on co-workers. Peersalso recognize and thank each other for what they didright. Observers note on scorecards whether or not theirpeers performed specified tasks safely and whether theobserver gave verbal feedback. Importantly, participantsare coached on how to give feedback so that recipientswill be receptive to it.
Companies that have adopted these programs saythat over time, they lead to safer workplaces and fewerinjuries. Behavior-based safety programs offer otherbenefits as well. Duffy, for one, cites stronger, morepositive relationships among peers, while Johannesen,whose company adopted a behavior-based safetyprogram about two years ago, has seen a positive impacton injury rates, product quality, and, in some cases,operating costs. Employees are more engaged too: “Insome departments, everyone is thinking and talkingabout safety now,” he says.
SIGNS OF SUCCESS
No matter how committed to achieving a safety culture
a facility may be, there are bound to be some roadblocks
along the way. Oftentimes, says Toyota’s Lego, the
root cause is an imbalance among the three pillars of
industrial performance—safety, quality, and productivity.
He uses the analogy of juggling. All three “balls” have to
keep moving at the same pace; they are so interrelated
that if there’s too much emphasis on one, then one or
both of the others will suffer in some way. If the facility
puts too much emphasis on hitting productivity targets,
for instance, “that sets a poor precedent, because you’re
communicating to your people that numbers are more
important than their safety,” he says. Importantly, he
adds, nothing should ever allow the safety “ball” to be
dropped.
If the entire organization—from top management to
the shop floor to the back office—is not aligned, then
efforts to develop a safety culture will be undermined.
When that’s the case, says Johannesen of UniCarriers,
it’s important to help the resisters overcome their
objections. “If you can see that some people don’t quite
buy into [a safety initiative], have early adopters and
safety champions work with them in advance or on the
side,” he suggests. “If you can get some quick wins and
generate some buzz, that can also help to bring those
people on board.”
How do you know when you’ve successfully
implemented a safety culture among forklift operators,
pedestrians, and others in your warehouse or DC?
From a quantitative standpoint, effective preventive
measures will result in more streamlined processes,
fewer work disruptions, and greater productivity, says
Raymond’s Norton, adding that continuous monitoring
of data generated by telematics and labor management
systems will reflect improvements and shed light on
new opportunities for optimization.
Duffy of Crown Equipment points to “leadingindicators” that suggest whether a safety culture hasnot only been achieved but is also likely to continue.In a 2019 National Forklift Safety Day presentation, hecharacterized the development of a safety culture as a“journey.” In the early stages, employees believe safetyand plant or DC managers are responsible for safety,and the focus is on compliance and injury investigations.Later, when all employees consider themselves to beresponsible for safety and push each other to improve,that’s an indicator that safety has become part ofthe company’s culture and that it will continue overthe long term. Ultimately, Duffy says, “the core of theprogram is worker engagement and ownership, not just‘participation.’ You have to get to a higher level thanthat.” ;
