A key is - if you are going to ask the bear to dance, then dance. If you are going to ask employees to improve, to take more responsibility for what they make, then if they point out an issue, don't blow it off.
My workplace is going through a significant "Safety Conscious Work Environment" effort. Google SCWE and you will find lots of stuff. But even the other day, I discover a ladder that has been left leaning against a cubicle wall after a job has ended the previous day. This is contrary to most safety rules, which require you to properly store a ladder when done with it. It's good for both the ladder and the employees. However, upon pointing out the ladder to the company safety director (who's office is very close to mine) and then our official safety engineer for the building, I got first sent on a wild-goose chase, and then just told - we assume the workers are coming back, what's the issue. A complete refusal to even just say - thanks for pointing it out, we'll take care of it.
I did have a couple of good discussions with executives of the company (since I am helping the company prepare for a SCWE review), and although the ladder itself was not that big of a thing, if a corporate person like me has that much trouble getting a simple thing like a ladder acknowledged, let alone taken care of, what is a "normal" worker in a facility to do with a bigger (perhaps nuclear) safety issue?
So - be careful you haven't gotten yourself into a situation like this. If you expect the employees to take ownership and to point things out, they simply won't after a few experiences like this.
My workplace is going through a significant "Safety Conscious Work Environment" effort. Google SCWE and you will find lots of stuff. But even the other day, I discover a ladder that has been left leaning against a cubicle wall after a job has ended the previous day. This is contrary to most safety rules, which require you to properly store a ladder when done with it. It's good for both the ladder and the employees. However, upon pointing out the ladder to the company safety director (who's office is very close to mine) and then our official safety engineer for the building, I got first sent on a wild-goose chase, and then just told - we assume the workers are coming back, what's the issue. A complete refusal to even just say - thanks for pointing it out, we'll take care of it.
I did have a couple of good discussions with executives of the company (since I am helping the company prepare for a SCWE review), and although the ladder itself was not that big of a thing, if a corporate person like me has that much trouble getting a simple thing like a ladder acknowledged, let alone taken care of, what is a "normal" worker in a facility to do with a bigger (perhaps nuclear) safety issue?
So - be careful you haven't gotten yourself into a situation like this. If you expect the employees to take ownership and to point things out, they simply won't after a few experiences like this.