I visited a hardwood sawmill in Princeton, West Virginia who talked about their safety culture.
They noted the employee involvement in their safety culture. They said employees do four things:
Employees inspect. They use employees on teams to conduct regular plant inspections. They believe employees are closer to the action and can point out shortcomings.
They enforce. Employees take responsibility for assuring safe behavior in the plant.
They report. They alert ownership to issues in the plant that are risky.
They recommend. They routinely point to projects that should be considered for a safer environment.
Listening to that presentation, it reinforced a belief I have: we will be as safe as we can be when every employee believes that safety is his responsibility and is accountable for it.
