During a period of increased productivity and focused process improvement from 2007 to 2009, this manufacturer’s leadership team recognized alarming safety trends that were diminishing the plant’s accomplishments. They specifically identified a deteriorating safety record and a perception from the workforce that the plant lacked a serious emphasis on safety initiatives. The organization was experiencing measurable increases reported Near Misses, OSHA Recordable Incidents and costly Lost Time Accidents.

In May 2009, senior leadership made the long-term commitment to develop a comprehensive system to attack and reverse these trends. The plant applied Lean methodologies to analyze, design, develop, pilot, and implement an integrated and synchronized Safety Improvement System addressing People, Work Environment and structured Continuous Improvement. Specific improvements included the establishment of an employee-led Safety Engagement Team, alignment of department shift change meetings with safety communications, plus the implementation of PEACE observations (behavior based safety tools), Job Hazard Analysis, and online OSHA Compliance Training.