"Safety is about having a plan, following processes and recognizing/mitigating risks along the way," explains George Carlough, global director.
Although it sounds simple, Komatsu Mining Corp.'s safety culture is multifaceted. The company's culture is exemplified not only in the workplace, but in the communities in which each employee lives and works.
"As a company which manufactures heavy industrial equipment and machines servicing the mining industry, we are involved with many significant critical safety risks within our plants, and in the field daily," Carlough says. "Our leadership engagement with our employees is some of the finest in the world and without our leadership driving zero harm, our performance would not be where it is today."
Komatsu's workers are committed to creating injury-free workplaces and delivering products and services that improve safety for its customers in the following ways:
• Communicating and reinforcing a commitment to safety and health in all places where the company does business, including facilities, communities and customer sites.
• Adhering to the global Cardinal Safety Rules that govern operations at all of Komatsu's locations.
• Regularly reviewing health and safety policies, processes and practices to ensure continuous improvement.
• Tracking safety and health performance through uniform, global measurements.
• Creating innovative technologies and solutions that consider safety first.
• Incorporating a systematic approach to complying with applicable safety and health legislative and legal requirements.
• Maintaining a healthy life-work balance.
• Ensuring a zero harm mentality in every way.
"These elements of our safety culture enhance our ability to deliver quality products and services and enable us to exceed customer expectations," Carlough explains. "Our entire safety culture is centered on the people that make up our business because culture is the people."
As a result of these elements, worker engagement and sense of personal ownership, a driving force of a zero harm safety journey permeates at Komatsu.