This Employee and His Team Are Changing Safety Culture in the Industry- See How

September 13, 2021

Did you know that Caterpillar offers safety consultations for companies regardless of whether they use Cat products on the job site? Let us introduce you to Caterpillar Safety Services.

Caterpillar Safety Services Business Development Manager Justin Ganschow will tell you that there are many individuals in the industry who still view safety as rules and regulations defined by a governing body that exist on posters around a facility. However, Caterpillar Safety Services offers an alternative to that viewpoint, and they empower worksites and companies alike to take safety off the posters and put it in the hands of individuals to drive a safer workplace. “Safety as a service is something that sets Caterpillar apart from other OEMs. Some train equipment operator safety, for example, but few companies also train safety as part of the culture and identify the leadership behavior it takes for safety to be lived every day. This work expands Caterpillar’s brand to include consultative work, which has opened up a unique niche of the enterprise,” says Justin. 

In his role, Justin connects with the employees and leaders of companies at industry events to inspire them to transform the safety of their organization through the lens of culture, human psychology and leadership. He speaks to them from personal experience having worked as the Environmental Health & Safety manager of the North Little Rock, AR facility where he utilized Caterpillar Safety Services early in his career. He says, “At the time, this facility was struggling to overcome common issues associated with an unintentional safety culture,” he recalls. Justin knew he needed a partner to make the needed changes, which is when Caterpillar Safety Services was called in to help. After executing a full assessment of the culture to determine what was working and what wasn’t, a strategy was developed by a committed group of employees from all departments that would improve and transform the safety culture of the facility for years to come. 

With many unsafe stories to share from growing up working on a farm, these experiences shaped Justin’s perspective on safety and have impacted his career. “There were so many hazards on the farm between machinery and chemicals but there was never any formal training, discussion, or clear expectations about how to work safely. It was more of a ‘get it done’ mentality and safety was viewed as simply common sense. I got hurt a lot, but I was lucky that nothing was life-altering,” he says.

Justin says, “What I do now is the most meaningful work I've ever done. You know you're saving lives. Safety isn’t just about policies and procedures - it’s about people. You'll never know what tragedy has been avoided because of the employees our team has empowered to take control of their own safety on and off the job.” Leading safety culture throughout the industry is the work that matters. Are you ready to build a better (and safer) world?