Safety message from Joakim Westerlund, CEO of the Forcit Group
Ensuring a safe work environment and prioritizing safety, not only of our employees, but the environment in which we operate isn't just a responsibility; it's a commitment that must start from each and every person in a leadership role in our industry. A personal commitment to safety sets the tone for the entire organization. When leaders prioritize safety, they not only protect their employees but also cultivate a culture of accountability and trust. It's not just about policies and procedures; it's about a genuine dedication to keeping everyone safe. I believe that safety can only genuinely be first priority if it has a true personal meaning.
For me safety painfully clear became a personal priority early in my career, years before joining the explosives industry, after having to undergo the worst process any manager can deal with, investigating an accident with fatal outcome. Having to go through, in detail, the chain of event leading up to a young fathers dead is something that did forever change my view of what safety really means. Safety is not about numbers, it is about people, their health, and their lives. If you read this note I am sure you find safety important, but is safety truly a personal commitment of yours and does safety have a deeper personal meaning to you than reaching the annual LTIF, TRIF or other safety related KPI?
At FORCIT safety is always priority zero, there is no other topic that can ever compete. Safety is a constant priority not only in board meetings, leadership team meetings, safety drills or safety committees, but more importantly out on the field, in our development initiatives and in the planning and the execution of expansion projects. We have had a great journey of reducing accidents, as the industry as a whole, but after over 130 years of working with substances that are unforgiving, we have also accumulated a healthy level of paranoia into our culture; each day without accidents have to be earned regardless of how well we did the last quarter. True safety leadership isn't measured by the absence of incidents, but by the presence of a culture where every person's wellbeing is regarded as paramount by their co-workers, managers, and team members, and where nothing is so urgent or important that it would permit us to make shortcuts in safety procedures.
I am very grateful of the work SAFEX is doing for the good of our industry and society. Sharing learnings, best practices and also mistakes between peers makes us stronger and safer as an industry.
I wish all a safe spring and want to remind all readers that each day without accidents need to be earned through our actions and behaviors, wherever in the world or in the organizational rank we are!
Joakim Westerlund
Chief Executive Officer
Forcit Group