At AdvantaStaff, workplace safety is a critical part of helping manufacturers build productive, successful operations. As a portfolio company of The Wauford Group, we have access to the expertise and resources of an organization that has served the outsourcing industry for more than 50 years.
Since June is National Safety Month, we sat down with Wauford Group Environmental Health and Safety Manager Stipe Skunca, who brings more than 35 years of experience in environmental, health, and safety leadership across manufacturing and industrial environments. Richard Doyle, a machine operator and leader of Safety Focus Group meetings at several Wauford Group facilities, also joined the conversation and shared valuable frontline insights on employee involvement and accountability. Together, they discuss how participation, trust, communication, and teamwork help create safer workplaces for everyone.
Safety in manufacturing has evolved significantly in recent years. What does “world-class safety” look like in today’s modern manufacturing environment?
Stipe:
World-class safety starts with participation. Employees have to feel comfortable speaking up, raising concerns, and participating in safety efforts without fear of blame or punishment. One of the biggest things that separates successful safety programs today is that safety responsibility belongs to everyone, not just management.
At Wauford Group facilities, we implement an Action Suggestion Program that allows employees to address safety concerns, document them, and receive recognition for their efforts without naming or blaming individuals. That participation makes a huge difference because employees feel ownership over safety instead of feeling like safety is something being done to them.
Manufacturing has also changed because workers have changed. Attention spans are different than they were years ago, and companies have to adapt how they communicate and train. We have employees who have been here for 40 years alongside brand-new hires, so a modern safety program has to find ways to reach all employees effectively.
In your experience, what separates organizations with strong safety cultures from those that struggle to maintain safety standards?
Richard:
Strong safety cultures involve everyone in the organization. Employees understand that there are no small safety issues and that everyone has a role in identifying and correcting hazards.
At our facilities, issues are corrected in a timely manner because employees feel comfortable bringing concerns forward. We don’t play the “blame game”. If names are involved, it’s only because additional information is needed to understand a situation or investigate a concern, not to discipline someone.
The goal is to solve problems, not punish people. When employees know that, they are more willing to participate and speak up.
Stipe:
While some companies separate safety into its own culture category, that can unintentionally make it feel like a standalone initiative rather than part of how a company operates every day. Instead, organizations should focus on building an overall workplace culture that includes safety as a core component.
Rather than asking whether a company has a strong safety culture, the better question is whether employees feel respected, listened to, and empowered to raise concerns. If those things are present, safety naturally becomes part of the organization’s culture.
How can you impact safety at plants that you do not directly operate?
Stipe:
Whether an employee is working in a Wauford Group facility or at a client location, the goal remains the same: encourage participation, empower employees to speak up, identify hazards early, and ensure concerns are addressed quickly. AdvantaStaff reinforces these concepts with all of their placements through training materials, employee communications, text messages, and monthly eblasts.
Safety is not simply a compliance requirement tied to a building or operation. It is a mindset and a set of behaviors that employees carry with them regardless of where they are working.
How can manufacturing leaders encourage employees to take ownership of workplace safety rather than simply following rules?
Stipe:
It comes down to respect, participation, and trust.
Employees need to know that management genuinely listens when concerns are raised. If someone believes a task is unsafe, they should feel empowered to stop the process and bring the issue forward.
When employees see management respond to concerns quickly and consistently, they begin to believe that safety truly matters. Once that trust is established, employees become active participants in the safety process instead of simply following rules because they are told to.
Safety ownership develops when people understand that their voices matter.
One of the biggest misconceptions in workplace safety is perception. If an organization’s employees raise concerns but never hear what happened afterward. If someone reports a problem and nothing appears to change, they begin to believe management does not care.
Communication is critical. Even if a solution takes time, employees at Wauford Group managed facilities receive updates about what is being done and why. When people understand that concerns are being addressed, they are much more likely to continue participating in the process.
Incident investigations are critical after an accident occurs. What should companies focus on to ensure they are learning from incidents, not just documenting them?
Stipe:
For us, an incident does not require an injury or property damage. Any event can trigger an investigation.
The first priority is always making sure the employee is okay. Once that happens, we focus on understanding what occurred and why. We avoid immediately placing blame on individuals.
A thorough investigation looks at root causes, procedures, training, management systems, and workplace conditions. We ask whether procedures need to be rewritten, whether processes need to change, and whether there are other factors that contributed to the event.
We also involve operators and employees who work in the affected area. Our incident reports include action items, deadlines, and follow-up steps to ensure improvements are actually implemented.
The goal is to fix the problem and prevent it from happening again.
Richard:
We also pride ourselves on being proactive versus reactive. By doing this, we prevent those costly injuries and downtime because we address safety issues on a daily basis instead of only when they arise. No matter when a concern comes up, we address it immediately.
If an employee or supervisor comes to me with an issue, I’ll even call Stipe at home so he can hit the ground running when he gets to work the next day or even address it while he’s offsite. We don’t wait.
For manufacturers looking to modernize their safety programs, where should they start?
Stipe:
The first step is determining whether safety is truly a priority or simply a slogan.
When an Organization says, “Safety is Number One,” employees will quickly recognize whether leadership actually believes it. If employees feel pressured to prioritize production over safety to meet demand, they will not trust the program.
Employees should have the authority to stop work when something feels unsafe. Leaders must consistently support those decisions and demonstrate through their actions that safety comes first.
When employees believe management genuinely cares about their wellbeing, participation increases and safety programs become much more effective.
If you could give manufacturing leaders one piece of advice for building a safer workplace, what would it be?
Stipe:
Respect your employees and genuinely listen to them.
People want to know that leadership means what it says. They want to know that their concerns are heard and that management respects their experience and judgment.
Safety is not the responsibility of one person or one department. It requires teamwork and participation from everyone in the organization.
When employees feel respected, listened to, and empowered to contribute, they become active partners in keeping the workplace safe. That participation and teamwork are what ultimately prevent injuries and create a stronger organization.