Hit 5 years without a single lost time injury and I think the focus is wrong

Everyone at our shop in Toledo makes a big deal about the safety board and the days since the last recordable. We just hit 1825 days, which is 5 full years. The bosses threw a pizza party. But I think celebrating just the number is missing the point. We've had plenty of close calls and minor burns that people don't report because they don't want to 'break the streak'. Last month, a guy caught a hot sprue in his glove and his hand was red for a week, but he didn't say a word. A real safe shop would talk about those near misses openly, not just chase a big number on a sign. The number feels good, but does it actually mean we're safer, or just quieter? How do you get people to speak up about the small stuff without fear of ruining the count?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_pat11d ago

That streak is a huge win for the shop though, it shows a real culture shift. Celebrating it can actually build more trust to report the small stuff later. Maybe the next goal is a month with the most near-miss reports, no penalty.

lily_dixon2711d ago

Yeah, we split the board like @the_pat said.

graceprice10d ago

That streak can feel like a win, but it's built on hidden problems. Trust isn't built by hiding burns to keep a number going. A real culture shift happens when people can speak up without worrying about a pizza party. The goal should be fixing the small stuff before it becomes a big injury, not just keeping a clean record. You need a separate way to report near misses that doesn't reset the main board, so the focus is on learning, not punishment.