Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/114548
From the Chairman President & CEO - TOBY MACK Associated Equipment Distributors Oak Brook, Ill. Embedding a Safety Culture In Your Business Executive Vice President & COO Robert Henderson Associated Equipment Distributors Oak Brook, Ill. Officers Chairman - mike quirk Wagner Equipment Co. Aurora, Colo. Put some measures (and money) where your mouth is, and show employees you mean it. Vice Chairman - Tim Watters Hoffman Equipment Co., Piscataway, N.J. Sr. Vice President - Don Shilling General Equipment & Supplies, Inc. Fargo, N.D. Vice President - Rick van exan Toromont Industries Inc. Concord, Ontario Vice President - whit perryman Vermeer of Texas Inc. Irving, Texas Vice President of Finance Michael D. Brennan Brandeis Machinery & Supply Co., Louisville, Ky. Past Chairman - Larry Glynn CMW Equipment St. Louis, Mo. At-Large Directors ron barlet Bejac Corp. Placentia, Calif. Paula Benard C.N. Wood Co., Inc. Woburn, Mass. Gregg R. Erb Erb Equipment Company, Inc. Fenton, Mo. Dennis J. heller Stephenson Equipment Inc. Harrisburg, Pa. Mike Rooney Thompson Tractor Co., Inc. Tarrant, Ala. Michael J. Savastio Groff Tractor & Equipment, Inc. Mechanicsburg, Pa. Regional Directors Bruce A. Bowman Upper Midwest Reg. Star Equipment, Ltd Des Moines, Iowa gary frelick Western Canada Reg. Douglas Lake Equipment Langley, BC Patrick McConnell, West Reg. Clyde/West, Inc. Portland, Ore. christopher palmer Northeast Reg. Wood's CRW Corp. Williston, Vt. Mark Romer, Southeast Reg. James River Equipment, Inc. Ashland, Va. Jeffrey Scott Rocky Mountain Reg. Intermountain Bobcat Salt Lake City, Utah Rick Van Exan Eastern Canada Reg. Toromont Industries Ltd. Concord, ON gary D. Vaughn South Central Reg. OCT Equipment, Inc. Oklahoma City, Okla. 5_fromthechairman_KP.indd 5 By Mike Quirk One of the benefits of being the AED Chairman is the editorial freedom to choose the subject matter for my monthly column. At first it seems challenging to identify topics that are relevant and important across the broad ranks of our membership but, given the inherent risks associated with working on or around heavy equipment, few of us would argue that first and foremost we should always start with safety. Successfully embedding a culture of safety simultaneously reduces risk, generates cost savings, and creates opportunities in many ways. There are tangible financial incentives associated with a combination of reduced insurance rates and lowering financial losses associated with recordable incidents. The fewer incidents experienced means lower legal fees and administrative costs associated with reporting responsibilities and lost time by the workforce. Fewer incidents equal greater productivity and less energy drain that is so prevalent in today's highly regulated environment. And in the eyes of our customers safety is a growing competitive advantage. To an increasing degree it is mandatory to demonstrate an uncompromising commitment to safety or we simply will not be allowed on their site or be considered a responsible source of supply. Safety is also a significant employee satisfaction issue. When our people see that we place a high priority on their health and safety, we have higher morale and greater retention. Embedding a culture of safety at work creates a heightened awareness that carries over to our homes and families as well. There is no question that our behavior around the woodpile, our workshop, and behind the wheel of our cars is safer because of the emphasis we place on safety at work. It is one thing to say that we are committed to safety in our operations and it's something else to actually set out to embed a culture of safety in them. In today's work environment every company has examples that they can point to where we emphasize the importance of safety. Slogans, signs, and "toolbox" meetings are extremely important. There are many new and very creative ideas that emerge every day. One fact that is undeniable, however, is that in order to embed a culture of safety we must have a highly visible commitment from the leaders of the organization. All employees need to see that the actions of the leaders are consistent with the message being delivered. We need the entire workforce to recognize their responsibilities, and we want them to feel comfortable providing their input and reporting potentially adverse situations without fear of reprisal. And when they do, they should also see a tangible response from the company, providing the resources they need to ensure a safe work environment. In our company we know how hard it can be to stay on task and balance the growing number of priorities in today's challenging business environment. We believe that all the leaders of our various work groups need to share the same priority for growing a true culture of safety. We also know that you get the behavior you measure and reward. With this in mind, we include a safety category in our annual employee opinion survey that allows our workforce to weigh in on how we are performing. The results roll up to each individual work group and team leader. In 2012 we had a survey participation rate of 92 percent and we got good marks. In 2013 we have added Safety to the highest level of our Corporate Goals as measured by our Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR). For all of our managers we have tied additional compensation to the successful achievement of our 2013 goal. We've never had an incentive that was more important to achieve. I hope we hit this one out of the park! Mike Quirk (mquirk@wagnerequipment.com) is vice president of Operations at Wagner Equipment Co., Aurora, Colo. March 2013 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 5 2/27/13 11:38 AM