Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/674536
May 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com 38 honest feedback willingly. • Safety is communicated in every conversation. • Everyone is committed. Being a major player in the construction arena, Kokosing has always had a rigorous safety pro- gram, but about eight years ago, its top management decided to take it to a whole new level, says Uhinck. "They wanted to drive home the culture of safety and the requirement for personal commit- ment from each employee to work safe. Upper management passed the message down to the vice presidents, who passed it down to department managers, who took the message to the smaller teams," he says. Uhinck recalls a managers' meeting in which somebody asked how many people at Kokosing work in safety. The correct an- swer, says Uhinck, is everybody. Fear of confrontation Uhinck also stresses that an ef- fective safety program has to be personal. And while that sounds simple enough, making things personal requires honesty, open- ness and face-to-face commu- nication – not an easy ask in the rough and tumble world of construction. Confrontation over safety issues can be uncomfortable. That's why it's rarely done. "It's absolutely the hardest thing to do," Uhinck says. "You have to have the courage to approach an employee when you see some- thing unsafe, speak up and have a genuine conversation. It's huge. It's been the biggest challenge for me." Fear that the conversation is go- ing to end badly causes too many people to look the other way. But if you don't have the con- versation, what does that reveal? "You are saying that the unsafe behavior is OK; that it is accept- able," Uhinck says. "Don't think they don't notice, because they do. They notice when you don't set the example. Your leadership is defined by the way people act when you're not around." So, how do they handle it at Kokosing? Two key ingredients: a personal safety message, and the power of positive reinforcement. The personal safety message Kokosing asks every employee to write out a personal safety message and share it with their co-workers and managers. The message answers one question: Why is safety important to you? For a lot of guys, it's family, says Uhinck – being able to go home in one piece everyday and enjoy their family life. But, it doesn't have to be family. Maybe a guy wants to stay healthy so he can ride his Harley Davidson on weekends, or enjoy his fishing cabin. The reasons vary, but the most important part is that they're personal and shared with other coworkers. That personal hook gives ev- erybody a conversational entry point when it comes to confront- maintenance | continued Open ended questions and positive reinforcement keep safety conversations from turning negative.