Last week, I had the privilege of speaking to a group of leaders at the Risk & Assurance Group (RAG) conference in Toronto. RAG was established in 2003, recognizing that risk management in telecommunication companies had become an increasingly complicated web of risk.
After my presentation, a safety leader from Europe asked, “In the states do you (telecommunication companies) share safety information and data to improve performance?” I replied no I don’t think so. I have to admit I was a little embarrassed because I have always believed in American exceptionalism, not in a sense that the United States is "different or better " than other countries but the view that the U.S. through its collective diversity, passion and spirit has an internal belief that when we put our minds to something and work together, we can do anything. Well, are we living up to this in the area of safety?
Organizations like EHS Today have created a robust program to promote occupational safety, health, environmental and risk management by identifying companies who are “one of America’s Safest Companies”. They get this award partly by sharing safety data.
Worldsteel Association, representing about 85% of global steel production, has as a goal to help its members achieve an accident-free workplace through a series of activities including performance measurement as one aspect of achieving good safety and health standards. They encourage all of its member companies to participate in the safety performance data collection and report as accurate information as possible.
Why can’t communications companies do the same by sharing basic safety data that is required to be reported to Government agencies? This non-proprietary information can be used to better protect our team members, make better safety work environments, and make our industry better and safer overall. I know this because; I have done this type of safety data sharing in the warehousing, transit and trucking world before with no issues.
Why can’t like companies share their basic safety data?
1) AT&T
2) Verizon Communications
3) Comcast Corporation
4) Charter Communications
5) T-Mobile USA
6) Sprint Corporation
7) CenturyLink
8) Dish Network
9) Cox Communications
10) US Cellular
My favorite quote on this subject is from President John F. Kennedy who said: “No American is ever made better off by pulling a fellow American down, and every American is made better off whenever any one of us is made better off. A rising tide raises all boats.”
What is the worst that could happen? Your numbers are the best and you have to inform your senior leaders that you have the best numbers and you need to keep the company at the top. Or you are in to middle and have to tell your leaders you need to improve; and by talking to our industry safety leaders you can see what is working well in their organizations. Lastly, your numbers are towards the bottom and you have room to grow. Meeting with other industry leaders you can save your organization thousands of millions of dollars. “Nowhere to go but up” could be used as a motivation to drive organizational change.
If you believe like I do that the best part of American Exceptionalism is the belief we can do anything if we work together, then why can’t we work together for the good of all telecommunications’ workers nationally to provide a safe workplace for our team members with the added benefit of increasing profits?
My call to action would be that all telecommunications companies in the U.S. would share their basic safety data through an organization like RAG for the purposes of sharing best practices and improving safety for all telecommunications companies throughout the United States and throughout the world.
References:
Lazere, D. (n.d.). A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats: Has the Right Been Misusing JFK's Quote? Retrieved from https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/73227
Safety and Health. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2019, from https://www.worldsteel.org/steel-by-topic/safety-and-health.html
Tyrrell, I. (2016, October 21). What, exactly, is 'American exceptionalism'? Retrieved June 24, 2019, from https://theweek.com/articles/654508/what-exactly-american-exceptionalism
#AT&T#Verizon#Comcast#Charter#T-Mobile#Sprint#CenturyLink#DishNetwork#CoxCommunications#USCellular#Jilessmith
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