ONTHEScene
HOUSTON TRANSPORTATION SAFETY DAY
Safety professionals focus on leadership
BY LISA SURSAVAGE Guest Writer
Houston trucking industry leaders
gathered on May 29, at Brady’s Landing for the first Houston Transportation Safety Day to learn and discuss how they could continue to raise the bar on safety. The event, which was sponsored by Texas Trucking Association (TXTA), The Port of Houston Authority, Great West Casualty Company and Jetco Delivery, was led by keynote speaker The Honorable Robert L. Sumwalt, board member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Jim Schultz, former senior VP of Waste Management; Roger Guenther, executive director of the Port of Houston Authority; John D. Esparza, president and CEO of the Texas Trucking Association and Brian Fielkow, president of Jetco Delivery, also spoke to the approximately 50 attendees on creating a culture of prevention and the role leaders play in ensuring employees are working safely. Schultz set the tone for the day when
he kicked off the agenda by stating, “Safety is all about people.” It’s about employees doing the right thing because leadership sets the example. Leaders must lead their team to greatness by creating an environ- ment where employees are empowered to make the right decisions. It’s about creating a “just culture,” said Sumwalt, “and the critical role of leadership to ensure safety.” In the trucking industry, where
employees are primarily operating unsu- pervised, ensuring that they are making the best and safest decisions is key. “Your
Phil Mahoney, Great West Casualty Company; Brian Fielkow, Jetco Delivery; John D. Esparza, TXTA; Jim Schultz, Waste Management; Roger Guenther, Port of Houston Authority
job as leaders of Houston’s transportation community is to use your influence to ensure unsafe actions do not happen on your watch,” said Sumwalt. But the ques- tion arises: How can leaders ensure their employees are making the safe decision? It’s a matter of creating a healthy company cul- ture where values are clearly defined. Sumwalt emphasized that leaders are
required to draw a clear line between prior- ities and values. Safety cannot be a priority that changes; it must be a core value. And that core value is set at the top then com- municated to employees who breathe life into it. If safety is a core value, employees will do the right thing, even when it’s hard. No matter how safely a business is
functioning, leaders must constantly be aware of the risk of complacency. “A long run with a lack of accidents or safety issues does not mean that leaders are safe,” Sumwalt insisted. However, with a good safety performance, organizations often easily become complacent. He went on to
add that leaders should constantly be wor- ried and on their toes, never settling and always aware of the potential for accidents. Leadership cooperation and commu-
nication is essential amongst those who were in the audience if they are to raise the bar on safety. Esparza noted that it is the job of the leaders of the industry to com- municate, and that the community “relies on our leaders to strain through the chatter and get to the heart of the issue: safety.” In addition, Guenther pointed out that in order for the Port and the trucking indus- try to ensure proper safety measures are taken, they must communicate and come together. This event was a step in that direction for these business leaders. The breakfast concluded with Fielkow
calling on his peers to make the stand for safety. “Zero accidents is the only accept- able goal,” he said. “It’s not about the rules, regulations and handbooks. It’s about behavior.”
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