DuPont has a history of providing consultation services and training for companies in all industries.  What is the common driver?  What is at stake? 

DuPont believes all employees have the right to work in a safe environment and there is no job that cannot be done safely.  Some of the most satisfying results we have witnessed were achieved in companies that operate in physically challenging environments, such as manufacturing facilities.  Even at Northwest Pipe Company, a lead pipe manufacturing plant where employees face extreme temperatures, rolling pipe and a number of other potential hazards, we knew that STOP™ training materials could help provoke awareness, instill safety rigor and improve performance.

What triggers a company’s decision to take a training materials approach to safety?

Companies often come to us to help reduce injury rates, ensure compliance with OSHA standards and improve the measurable safety performance of their businesses.  In the case of Northwest Pipe, their incident rates and Worker’s Compensation costs were out of line with OSHA standards.  During the initial assessment, unsafe acts were discovered to be the leading cause of accidents throughout the company and Northwest Pipe began its journey toward improved performance by engaging leadership and involving line supervisors.  After the first year of implementing the STOP™ for Supervision training program, they dropped their total recordable injury rate by 26 percent.  Five years later, Workers’ Compensation costs have decreased 71 percent. 

How can addressing these issues lead to long-term success?

Changing safety behavior is the foundation for long-term success and sustainability.  Northwest Pipe established a philosophy in which safety is their first priority, and no job is too important to be done safely.  STOP™ for Supervision was the first step in gaining the involvement and commitment of key management personnel.  It gave them a consistent approach for communicating with employees about safety.  This approach has been expanded to topics beyond safety, including issues such as quality and production.

How can this action be translated into a message that employees buy in to?

Felt-leadership is the key, but it can’t stop there.  Once the supervisory levels at Northwest Pipe were engaged in safety improvement, they introduced STOP™ for Each Other.  The program helps employees interact with their coworkers regarding safety and supports safety as a daily activity in the company.   Not only did Northwest Pipe improve overall safety performance, three of their plants exceeded the milestone of one year without a lost time injury.  Safety as a core value must extend beyond the corporate headquarters so that it is alive among the daily operations of plant sites and manufacturing facilities. 

• Read the complete Northwest Pipe Company Case Study