Monday, October 29, 2012

Safety: A Prerequisite for Doing Business

During an opening presentation at the Fatality Prevention in the Workplace Forum being held in Pittsburgh, Alcoa's Chief Sustainability Officer Kevin Anton told the nearly 200 attendees, "At Alcoa, safety is a prerequisite for doing business." Anton (speaking in place of CEO Klaus Kleinfeld, who remained in New York due to Hurricane Sandy) noted that Alcoa's C-Suite and board of directors are squarely behind safety and continuously seek new ways to improve the company's performance.

The company recently evaluated 16 fatalities that occurred over the past 5 years and determined that one decision made in advance of the event could have altered the outcome, underscoring the need to assess and communicate risks continually. He also noted that Alcoa is focused on creating a culture in which all workers are willing to stop work when an unknown or potentially at-risk situation arises. By showing workers that safety is, indeed, a top priority along with productivity, the company can better engage employees, Anton concluded.

The 2012 symposium is sponsored by Indiana University of Pennsylvania, in partnership with Alcoa.