Taking Personal Responsibility for Our Own Safety
When we take personal responsibility for our own safety in our manufacturing company, our well-being takes center stage and is of paramount importance to us. When our own personal safety is in the forefront of our minds, we consciously and consistently make thoughtful decisions to ensure that we remain safe and injury-free. When our personal safety comes first, we don’t take chances, we don’t take short cuts, and we are aware of our surroundings at all times. While these “safety rules to live by” seem simple enough, the question is, how do we get all employees to think about their own personal safety at all times, without exception?
Getting all employees of our rolling mill and other facilities to think in terms of taking a personal responsibility for their own safety is no small task – but it can be achieved over time. The key is to embed the concept in the minds of our workforce so that it becomes part of our culture. Ultimately, it becomes one more example of how we do business on a daily basis – we take personal responsibility for our own safety, it’s how we work.
To get the word out about the importance of taking personal responsibility for our own safety, we are about to embark on an ambitious, comprehensive Safety Communication Initiative at our Connecticut-based operations. The approach will be multi-faceted and everyone will be asked to work together so we can all get on the same page and focus on safety. Employees, managers and supervisors, and Ulbrich Safety Committee members will have a role in conveying the message that we must take a personal responsibility for our own safety. In so doing, we will make Ulbrich a safer place to work.
We plan to spread the word about taking a personal responsibility for our own safety through a number of mediums. In Connecticut, we will use videos of safety tips, safety testimonials and the like on our Marlin Communication Boards, in our Ulbrich Newsletters, on Bulletin and Safety Boards, and on the Ulbrich website. We’ll also reinforce our safety messaging in our daily huddles with supervision, in our monthly communication meetings, and in one-on-one safety sessions with our supervisors. We plan to get the word out – in a big way!
We also plan to engage all Ulbrich Safety Committee members. We are counting on members of the Safety Committee to regularly reinforce and support “the importance of taking personal responsibility for our own safety” with co-workers. Done tactfully and diplomatically, we encourage Safety Committee members and all employees to remind their fellow co-workers about the importance of “working safely,” avoiding shortcuts, and not taking unnecessary risks that could cause injuries. If you see something (like an unsafe act), say something – it’s just not right to turn a blind eye to a potentially injurious situation.
All members of the Ulbrich management team care about the personal safety of each and every employee. We look forward to supporting this Safety Communication Initiative and the resulting improvements in plant safety that we hope to see.
Stay tuned for more on “taking a personal responsibility for our own safety.” Our plan is to roll out this safety initiative to all Ulbrich production facilities.
Written by Tom Curtin & Debbie DeFelice
