Be safe out there! From loading dangerous rocket fuel to building a commercial jetliner, workplace safety always comes first By Eric Fetters-Walp Safety is part of everyone’s job at Boeing. For Chad Margolin, Dale Lamason and their teammates, it’s on their minds all the time as they handle explosive rocket fuel. Their Satellite Propulsion team tests and fuels satellites. One of its responsibilities is to transfer potentially dangerous rocket propellants into satellite fuel tanks. “This operation has been called by many one of the most dangerous jobs performed at Boeing,” said Margolin, a 17-year employee of the Propulsion team, which is part of Engineering, Operations & Technology’s Boeing Test & Evaluation organization. “We want to maintain a reputation that is positive and let everyone know that we are not minimizing safety in the interest of maximizing efficiency. We strive to do both, of course, but if there is a choice to be made, safety should always come first.” Because the potential consequences of an accident at an actual rocket launch site could be severe, Lamason said safety practices are rigorously followed and always improving. That’s the case even during safety drill training at the team’s facility near Taft, Calif., less than an hour’s drive from Bakersfield. Even though the team uses safe substitutes instead of volatile items such as fuel during this training, their daily briefings include mention of any potential safety concerns. They conduct daily inspections for vapor leaks, which could emit toxic fumes if they occurred at a launch site. Employees are vigilant about keeping safety-related logbooks and records up to date. “No one wants to lie in bed at night staring at the ceiling wondering if I could have done something simple to prevent an injury,” Lamason said. That is the same message behind “Go for Zero—One Day at a Time,” Boeing’s enterprisewide effort to eliminate workplace injuries and strengthen the company’s safety culture. While Boeing has made progress lowering the number of workplace injuries, with a 17 percent drop over the past five years, multiple incidents in the past 18 months have resulted in serious injuries and two employee deaths. In January, Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney launched a high-level task force, accountable to the Executive Council, to build the foundation for the Go for Zero effort and a new culture of workplace safety. The Boeing Executive Council subsequently adopted four guiding principles aimed at eliminating workplace injuries and accidents: • We value human life and health above all else and take action accordingly. • All incidents, injuries and workplace illnesses are preventable. • We are personally accountable and collectively responsible for each other’s safety. • In meeting our goals for quality, cost and schedule, we will not compromise safety. Eliminating injuries and staying safe at work resonates with Boeing employees everywhere, whether they are loading rocket fuel on satellites near Taft, helping assemble commercial jetliners in Everett, Wash., or maintaining helicopters in Australia. “Safety has always been at the forefront here. We all need a safe operating environment,” said Tim Welsh, Kiowa team leader at the Oakey Army Aviation Centre BEOING FRNOT IERS / AUGUST 2013 19 PHOTO: Propulsion Load Operator John Engstrand of Boeing Test & Evaluation’s Satellite Propulsion team observes propellant load pressure as operators Ernie Tamayo and Jeremy Bojorquez check for leaks in the background. Bob Ferguson/Boeing
Frontiers August 2013 Issue
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