From Lean Thinking to Injuries Shrinking

Presenter: Tony Courtney, Director Sales Operations, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Plano, TX, USA

Keywords: Safety, Behavior Observations

Industry: Food/Drug/Cosmetics

Level: Basic

ABSTRACT

Reducing workplace injuries takes more than just putting up banners and providing PPE’s. It takes a combined commitment from all employees from the front line to senior leadership. This is the story of how lean principles were applied to the ever-present goal of reducing workplace injuries at Dr Pepper Snapple Group by focusing on culture. After-the-fact AFR statistics have been replaced with leading indicators; Management criticism has been replaced with front-line employee engagement; Fire-fighting has been replaced with true root cause counter measures; Recordables have been replaced with behavior-based data to identify opportunities. Most importantly, by creating a culture where employees are empowered and encouraged to identify potential problems before they turn into lost time, safety is improving and our employees return home at night as healthy as they left.