BAE SYSTEMS Case Study
JOMC and Hill Solomon are proud to have come together to offer a comprehensive program of training and awareness to drive a step change in safety culture and introduce a new work code for the UK Munitions arm of BAE.
Head of Health and Safety, Ian Smith, had instigated excellent procedures and processes at the UK’s manufacturing sites and those were showing success in driving down accident trends. However, he realised that more could be done to encourage an even better culture amongst the 1200 staff.
Ian identified that external support was required to help influence the key behaviours that would lead to their ultimate goal of zero incidents.
A probing culture survey was
conducted across the businesses and the results shaped a program of training
and awareness throughout the business from the senior leadership team, through
the levels of management and to all operatives.
JOMC then embarked on delivering a
series of relevant, engaging Culture Based Safety workshops for all
employees on all sites. These were followed up with Talksafe (SUSA) workshops
for all Managers, Supervisors, Safety Reps and other volunteers to introduce a
one-to-one behavioural engagement process into the business.
To follow up on this excellent
start, all shopfloor personnel were subsequently involved in half-day
"Domino" sessions - a very hands-on, practical approach to
identifying and dealing with potential problems in the workplace.
As with all organisations, it was
recognised that Front Line Managers have a crucial leadership role to play in
the Culture Change process. JOMC used their coaching specialists to lead this
essential group through a work-place based improvement programme, focussing on
team work and communication.
Ongoing support to the Site Steering
Groups has help to ensure that the success has been recognised and the
Culture Change sustained.
A new work code was developed to support the programme: start safe, talk safe, home safe to underpin the key behaviours identified and
to provide a springboard for the culture change journey.
Start Safe is about making sure you
have everything required to do your job safely before you start; the right
information, the right tools and protective equipment and thinking about what
could go wrong and what you can do to ensure that it doesn’t, before you start.
Talk Safe is about speaking up about safety and finding opportunities to discuss the safest way of working with your colleagues – and knowing you will be supported. It’s about encouraging everyone to challenge unsafe behaviours and give due recognition for safe practices.
Home Safe is about recognising that you and your work colleagues all have responsibilities outside of work too. Everyone should play their part to ensure that we can all go home safely and live our lives to the full.
To launch this new way of working to everyone in the business a comprehensive communications program was embarked upon. Each part of the business displayed banners and graphic boards around their site, including welcome boards at each site entrance, explaining key messages.
A short film was created featuring Managing Director, Charlie Blakemore and his senior team, explaining their commitment to ensuring everyone goes home safely. To ensure the message is relevant to everyone in the business, we filmed discussion groups, including a cross section of the workforce.
Employees discuss how the key issues affect them and talk about what motivates them to work safely.
We meet the contributors in their lives outside of work, enjoying hobbies and with their families to give the film a really personal feel.
The management teams at each site used the film as part of a launch workshop for every member of staff. The session included an opportunity for internal teams to discuss how the issues relate to them and to agree how they can work together to make their sites even safer places.
Results to date:
- Over 2 million hours worked without a LTA at largest site, Glascoed
- No LTA at ETF since 2004
- All employees taken part in the start safe talk safe home safe launch program
- All employees attended a one day culture change workshop
- Over 500 people trained to become talk safe practitioners
- Over 9000 talk safe conversations taken place
- Each site created a culture change steering group
- Near miss reporting up 300%
“Start safe, talk safe, home safe is
a great success; there has been a noticeable shift in the culture with all
employees who are significantly more engaged with safety, more issues are being
raised, more near misses reported and most importantly we are beginning to see
all of this translated into a reduction in accidents. That means less people hurt at work and fewer
lives disrupted outside of work.
We are very proud that the wider business has now adopted start safe talk safe home safe with the communications campaign being rolled out across BAE Systems Land and Armaments in the USA, South Africa and across the rest of Europe.”
Ian Smith, Head of HSE, BAE Systems, Munitions
