28. Think Safe. Work Safe.

Know and practice the safety procedures for your job. Watch out for the safety of your teammates as well, for we’re all part of the Famous Family. Never take shortcuts that compromise your safety or that of your teammates.

Bryan's Message:

You may have heard of the concept to “build a culture of safety”. What does this mean? Building a culture is to create an environment where an individual thinks and acts in a manner that delivers desired outcomes. One of the most important aspects of our culture is safety. Note that our fundamental this week asks us to THINK safe first and then WORK safe. Earlier in my career before Famous, I was working in a warehouse where we were working on a project to reorganize inventory in the rack section. This project required us to rotate and consolidate some product. This product was large, heavy, awkward and had to be placed square on oversized pallets to be set in the rack. I took a shortcut to square a very large unit on a pallet by myself and ended up injuring my back. I didn’t think before doing the work or I would have asked for help and as a team, we could have performed the move in the proper manner, saving an injury.

Cultivating a culture of safety not only helps to prevent injuries but also makes us more productive as a company. Work injuries and accidents cause lost productivity and prevent us from performing at our best for our customers. Look for opportunities to work in a safe manner for yourself and others. Prevent unsafe conditions by looking to identify areas that create safety concerns in our work environment. We all have a responsibility to each other to know the safety procedures for our roles and to THINK and WORK in a safe manner.

Think Safe, Work Safe!