Company News
Western Rock Strengthens Safety Culture Through Behavior Based Safety
July 8th, 2010
The Staker Parson Division values the active involvement and ownership of every employee in our safety culture. Western Rock Products continues to demonstrate this by growing the engagement of employees through the expansion of their Behavior Based Safety (BBS) process. By following the principles of the Oldcastle Materials Group West Sector Leadership Academy, Western Rock has increased the frequency which drivers at the Fort Pierce plant are performing three key safe behaviors:
- GOAL (Get Out and Look), which is being done prior to exiting every jobsite.
- Completing a pre-pour walk through of every jobsite prior to crossing the curb.
- Consistently wearing all personal protective equipment.
The Fort Pierce core team of employees identified and targeted these three behaviors for focused peer to peer observations and reinforcement. Approximately 70% of the employees at Fort Pierce volunteered to be members of the core team which provides effective feedback to co-workers, thus driving these behaviors to habit strength, and they are now occurring nearly 100% of the time.
David Stewart, the operations manager over Western Rock RMC, has watched as the core team of drivers has taken ownership of this process. “It’s impressive to see the manager’s level of care for their employee’s safety passed down to the front line,” Stewart said. “Employees are assisting each other to cultivate safe behaviors.”
Stewart is very proud of the core team members who are contributing to the success of this business unit. Dave highlighted two key members, Andy McGregor, plant driver mentor and Tina Jasper.
“It’s been a great process to be part of because everyone is taking time to identify and communicate additional hazards on jobsites in addition to increasing the identified safe behaviors,” McGregor said. He referenced an employee who is not on the core team who approached him and commented that since the BBS implementation, he feels a lot different about safety, not just about his own safety, but about watching out for the safety of all of his coworkers.
Stewart and McGregor commented on the impressive role that Jasper has had in the process. Both indicated that she has really demonstrated discretionary effort as she has stepped up and started to lead the core team in their team meetings and the BBS process. “The BBS process has been positive,” Jasper said. “It has served as an awakening, making me more aware of my safety and aware of other’s safety. I have noticed that coworkers are more comfortable communicating about safety concerns and are offering their suggestions about how we can all improve safety.”
The BBS process has had an excellent impact on the team of drivers at the plant. “Every individual’s input has an impact,” Stewart said. “Our drivers are excited to share feedback regarding their performance of safe behaviors. They are also watching coworkers and sharing feedback with each other about the safest way to perform a task.”