DESCRIPTION
Francis Flower launched an 'Aim for Excellence' initiative which was designed to integrate safety into every daily operational process whilst engaging with all employees.
A combination of managers, supervisors and key staff members were identified across the whole business with delegates from operations, logistics, customer service, and head office functions. They were invited to attend the 'Aim for Excellence' conference launch.
The launch was a two day, interactive event designed to provide safety guidance, playback real life scenarios whilst seeking feedback. The conference, which was attended by a quarter of the business, also involved reviewing the previous year’s safety performance and behaviours. 'Aim for Excellence' resources were presented along with new group policies and procedures.
'Aim for Excellence' is a fully thought through process providing basic, across business safety targets and actions. The main driver of the campaign is to set business wide, non-negotiable safety standards that all employees can work towards.
The key cornerstones of the campaign are:
¦ A single vision
¦ Shared values
¦ Smart actions
¦ Realistic measures.
The 'Aim for Excellence' launch also included an apprentice style workshop. Delegates reviewed the near hits and incidents from the previous year and then highlighted the most frequent or potentially serious causes, discussing them in an honest and open way.
When delegates had decided on the most challenging aspects of health, safety and wellbeing affecting themselves and their
colleagues, they were divided into groups. Each group created an 'Aim for Excellence' safety poster and tool box talk, covering one of the top four safety topics within the business.
At the end of the conference each group presented their poster and TBT to the whole group including the CEO, senior managers and members of the executive. The posters and toolbox talks have now been professionally reproduced and will be used within the business over the coming year. Each poster features a picture of the group who produced them. One poster and toolbox talk will be issued quarterly.
Following the conference, the empowered delegates returned to the business and presented the 'Aim for Excellence' values to every member of the organisation using a Power Point presentation.
All company employees then signed personal charters, demonstrating their commitment to the 'Aim for Excellence' process targetted at driving safety changes for themselves and their colleagues.
BENEFITS
- Extremely well received within business
- Business is recording an LTIFR of 3.26 and an AIFR of 22 (improvements of 80% and 44% respectively)
- Near hit reporting has increased by circa 300% over the period
- Buy-in at all levels in the business
- Sense of unity of purpose and commitment to safety in business
- An environment where safety matters every day, to everyone.