Standing on a chair instead of a ladder. Cutting the lawn without wearing safety glasses. Leaning a chair back on two legs. These are just a few examples of the type of risky behaviors we have all done without thinking about what could happen. But these actions in particular were pointed out by some of our leaders as things that they have done.

In February, roughly 100 leaders from across GUC started the SafeAlign process with the first training session called Foundations. As one leader put it, "None of us want to get hurt. This was a wake-up call that every single one of us has done something that put us at risk of being hurt. We need to change how we think and behave."

During the training, leaders were taught the three foundational concepts for how to lead with safety:

1. Safety is controlling exposure for self and others;
2. Culture influences the level of exposure; and
3. Leader behavior shapes the safety culture.

There are a variety of things that can expose us to workplace hazards every day, ranging from the weather to tools to simple distractions. Even rushing to finish work exposes us to potential hazards. SafeAlign sets the tone for making sure working safely becomes "just the way we do things here."

SafeAlign is part of our Corporate Safety Initiative (CSI), just like Lighthouse. One leader described the SafeAlign process as, "Not just recognizing people for not getting hurt, but recognizing them for what they are doing to make sure that they don't get hurt."

The first step in making SafeAlign a part of everyday life at GUC is the Foundations workshop. Coming up in March, leaders at the supervisor level and up will go through a Leadership Diagnostic Instrument (LDI) — a process where leaders are rated by their boss, peers, and those who report to them. The point is to get an honest and accurate picture of that person's leadership approach to safety for himself and others. Those leaders will then receive individual coaching from SafeAlign consultants based on their LDI results.

One leader said, "The Foundations training opened my eyes that we really need to make sure we are doing things in a way that nobody risks getting hurt. We have the power to do it, but are we all doing it? No. And we need to."

Our goal is zero injuries. Learning to manage our exposures through the SafeAlign process will help us get there.

SafeAlign vision: "As a member of the GUC Team, I am empowered to protect myself and others from exposure hazards. Leadership is committed to minimizing our risks. Together, we can manage all exposures to make zero injuries a reality."