In today’s episode of the Dust Safety Science podcast, we’re talking to Bill Laturnus, Manufacturing Safety Senior Safety Advisor at BC Forest Safety Council, about building a culture of safety.
This is actually going to be a two-part episode. Today, we’re talking about companies and end-users and the operations level. In the second episode, we’re going to talk about associations and industry groups, namely how they can also build a culture of safety or help to improve safety levels in companies that they’re working with.
What is a Culture of Safety?
Bill expressed his personal view on safety culture at an operational level, defining it as “having workers who are actively involved in doing the right thing at the right time, without needing explicit instructions.” He emphasized the importance of employee engagement when considering culture, stating that when employees are engaged in their diverse responsibilities, it contributes to a positive safety culture.
He noted that the topic of improving employee engagement has been increasingly relevant for the past few years. However, he acknowledges the challenges that arise, particularly in the face of market difficulties and the current state of the forest products manufacturing industry in BC. In these circumstances, it becomes challenging to gather employees as a group to work on enhancing engagement. Whether it’s organizing in-house sessions, off-site meetings, or seeking external support, there is often a perception that it’s not the right time due to the need to prioritize production and cope with labor shortages. Consequently, despite companies’ efforts to enhance safety culture and employee engagement, they are sometimes hindered by external factors such as market conditions and labor limitations, which prevent them from allocating resources for improvements.
Are Safety and Employee Engagement the Same Conversation?
According to Bill, while performance and safety may be distinct topics, they are interconnected within the broader context of creating a shared vision for all employees in an organization. This common vision ensures that everyone is working towards achieving the same outcomes.
When safety culture involves employees taking the initiative to do the right thing without constant reminders, it highlights the importance of employees understanding their responsibilities. It requires time and effort to explain these responsibilities to new employees. For instance, even a cleanup employee with low seniority on the graveyard shift can play a vital role in ensuring safety by properly and safely handling combustible dust during mill shutdowns.
By comprehending the significance of their tasks, such an employee recognizes that their actions have a positive impact on the safety of the entire workforce. Thus, through effective instruction and understanding, employees can carry out their duties without constant supervision or reminders.
Bill added that there are two key points to consider here. Firstly, it is insufficient to communicate expectations to employees just once during orientation and assume they fully comprehend their responsibilities. In British Columbia, they have a rigorous orientation process that involves reviewing 13 different items with new employees before they begin work. However, some companies may rush through these items and hastily send employees into their roles, relying on peer-to-peer training to catch them up. It requires dedicated effort to ensure employees truly understand their responsibilities. The message conveyed must be comprehensive, extending beyond the tasks performed by workers and emphasizing the importance of safeguarding others from potential hazards like dust explosions.
In addition, when seeking to improve safety culture or employee engagement in a business, it is crucial to incorporate the notion of looking out for one another rather than solely focusing on oneself. Therefore, when the cleanup employee tackles a pile of dust, they recognize it as their duty and responsibility. Simultaneously, they are aware that their actions are not just for personal benefit but also contribute to the protection of their colleagues. They are actively watching out for their fellow employees.
What Other Challenges Arise in Woodworking or Combustible Dust in General?
Bill stated that a fundamental challenge that arises in many production operations is the varying levels of support and resources available across different shifts. Typically, operations run day, afternoon, and graveyard shifts, each with its own dynamics. Day shifts often have ample assistance and guidance available, with numerous individuals providing instructions. Afternoon shifts may have fewer resources compared to day shifts. However, the real disparity is often seen on the graveyard shift.
He cited the example of the cleanup employee, who occupies a lower position on the hierarchy and consistently works during the graveyard shift throughout the week. On this shift, there might be only one supervisor overseeing the crew, who may not even hold a formal supervisory position but rather a chargehand role. As a result, depending on the shift, there can be varying levels of support in understanding responsibilities, employee engagement, or access to safety committee members for issue discussions. It is crucial for individuals to recognize that the circumstances and support available may differ significantly across shifts.
“We keep statistics and, surprisingly, a lot of our major issues are found on the graveyard shift,” Bill said. “I’ll give you a good example. There was an employee, an electrical employee who knows better, who opened up a motor control circuit panel and hit it with an air wand to clean it out of dust. And it created this big, huge cloud of dust. And you know, the auditor is standing there saying, ‘Wait, hold off a sec. You know, like, what are you doing?’ But they never would have done that on day shift.”
How Do Employers Get Started?
Bill explained that it is crucial for organizations to recognize that improving employee engagement requires dedicated effort and cannot occur spontaneously. This effort needs to involve all levels of the organization or operation, rather than solely relying on safety resources or supervisors to drive the change. It is essential for everyone to participate in the discussion and actively contribute to the journey of engaging employees. Adequate resources must be allocated to support this endeavor.
He shared an example of conducting workshops, where some companies expressed willingness to send employees despite the challenges they faced, acknowledging the importance of investing in their development. On the other hand, there were companies unable to send anyone due to perceived negative implications. In such situations, companies may need to explore innovative approaches to ensure they can provide the necessary resources and time for employees to learn and actively engage. Finding alternative solutions becomes imperative to overcome the barriers and create opportunities for employee growth and engagement.
“There was a company that, in my opinion, exhibited the most remarkable safety culture and employee engagement I have ever witnessed,” said. “They went beyond involving only safety committee members and engaged key individuals throughout their operation. These individuals, known as safety champions, received comprehensive education, training, and support to aid in the improvement of safety practices.
“This initiative had a profound impact on employees, as it demonstrated the company’s genuine commitment to employee engagement by designating specific individuals to support their efforts. Moreover, the company actively encouraged employees to identify safety issues and took swift action to address them, rather than merely adding them to a list that went unresolved.
“I had a conversation with a new worker who was hired as a first aid attendant, despite having no prior experience in the operation or activities they were exposed to. During their first week, they took the initiative to report a broken weld on a stairwell railing by entering the observation into the company’s tracking system, which ensured swift attention to the matter. This employee expressed immense satisfaction and gratitude for having the ability and support to report safety concerns promptly. When I followed up the next day, I learned that the issue had been addressed immediately. This company’s willingness to promptly address reported concerns exemplifies their commitment to changing the culture and fostering positive employee engagement.”
He recalled that when he was consulting, he talked to a lot of mobile equipment operators in addition to employees.
“One of the things you’re looking at is their pre-trips. Based on my extensive experience of visiting various businesses over the past 15 years (and continuing to do so), I can confidently say that the primary reason employees neglect to fill out their pre-trip inspections for forklifts is the perception that “nobody reads it.” When they document issues or concerns, they feel that their feedback goes unnoticed and the problems remain unresolved. Consequently, they gradually stop performing these inspections, and nobody approaches them to discuss the reasons behind their discontinuation.
“This is particularly significant because something as simple as conducting a pre-trip inspection ensures the safe operation of a forklift. However, employees refrain from completing the necessary paperwork as they believe it holds no value since nobody takes the time to review it. Naturally, this lack of engagement and disregard for employee input undermines the establishment of a strong safety culture within the organization.”
On the other end of the spectrum, Bill encountered an operation that faced challenges with forklift drivers neglecting their pre-trip inspections. Surprisingly, it was the quality control supervisor, not the mobile equipment supervisor, who took the initiative to address this issue. Whenever the quality control supervisor walked from the sawmill to the planer to conduct quality checks, he would call over the nearest forklifts and ask to see their completed pre-trips. Over a short period, all the forklift drivers understood that when this supervisor was present, they needed to drive over and demonstrate their completed pre-trips.
This simple action brought about a significant change. The forklift drivers began informing the quality control supervisor if their forklifts were not functioning properly, specifically during day shifts, ensuring timely repairs before the afternoon shift, which relied on the same forklifts. Not only did the supervisor confirm the completion of pre-trips, but he also took it upon himself to facilitate necessary repairs for the forklift drivers. This example illustrates how when multiple individuals within an operation align their efforts and support positive activities, employees start to view completing their pre-trips as a positive task.
How Do Employees Get Started?
Bill suggested that a shift in our perception of leadership is necessary. It is no longer sufficient to associate leadership solely with the CEO or senior leadership; instead, we must recognize that leadership exists at all levels within an organization, even among the newest employees. By empowering workers to be leaders, we create an environment where even a newly hired employee, who understands their responsibilities, can demonstrate leadership qualities.
For instance, if this employee notices a colleague making a mistake that could lead to harm, they display leadership by intervening and preventing potential injury. Therefore, it is crucial to foster leadership buy-in at all levels of the organization, rather than assuming it can only be achieved through mission statements or directives from senior leaders. Remarkable results can be achieved when we treat all employees as leaders and provide them with the opportunity to exercise their leadership capabilities.
Conclusion
At the end of the interview, Bill said, “Keep up the work on this. Don’t let short-term conditions take you away from the importance of engaging your workforce. Employee engagement is not just helping safety culture. It’s going to help your organization in everything that they do. So it’s a worthwhile thing to always keep front and center and always be trying to improve them.”
If you would like to discuss further, leave your thoughts in the comments section below. You can also reach Bill Laturnus directly:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 1-877-741-1060
If you have questions about the contents of this or any other podcast episode, you can go to our ‘Questions from the Community’ page and submit a text message or video recording. We will then bring someone on to answer these questions in a future episode.
Resources mentioned
Dust Safety Science
Combustible Dust Incident Database
Dust Safety Science Podcast
Questions from the Community
Dust Safety Academy
Dust Safety Professionals
Dust Safety Share
Companies
Resources
Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC) Safety Committee
Combustible Dust Resources
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