“Our safety is the shared responsibility of everyone on board.” – Preflight safety briefing on Delta Airlines

This week, I was in a meeting listening to a report on our safety performance.

We’ve had fewer injuries this year:

• 20% fewer
• Less than 100
• About 1.5 accidents a week

The effort we have made to improve our guarding of machinery has borne fruit. Only one “severe” accident resulted from an interaction with a machine. Just one. In my mind, severe accidents result in extended lost time, extensive medical care and rehabilitation, as well as life-altering injury. Well done reducing injury.

We’ve invested in lift tables this year. The goal is to eliminate injuries associated with bending, reaching, and listing.

Finally, we are starting a program that requires the use of two hands on nail guns. We had 17 nail gun related injuries. We’ve been advised that installing the two-handed feature could eliminate those kinds of injuries. We have high hopes.

But, back to “shared responsibility”…

We continue to have high turnover.

Many people enter our workplace with little experience doing what we do. Their strength has yet to develop fully. Their experience with tools and material handling is limited. The endurance level necessary to put in a 100% work day has yet to be developed.

These factors make new employees vulnerable. More than ever, we have to look after the orange shirts:

• Teach them
• Remind them
• Coach them
• Hold them accountable
• Exhibit patience as they learn
• Affirm them

We need to ask them to speak up:

• Ask questions
• Seek training
• Clarify the right ways to do things

Establishing a high safety expectation on day one will help us all get better. It’s our shared responsibility.