Sun Tzu, author of “The Art of War,” wrote, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” In 2017, according to McDonough Elevators HSE Director Jim Rushing, the company has declared a “war on hazards.”
“McDonough has established an HSE action plan that focuses on equipping and educating our workforce about workplace hazards, conditions that lead to critical errors, and the importance of using multiple effective hazard controls,” Rushing explained.
McDonough Elevators is a U.S. company and a leading supplier of rack-and-pinion industrial elevators. With over 40 years of service, McDonough is a full-service company providing equipment, maintenance, modernizations, rentals and parts.
Speaking about conditions that lead to critical errors, Rushing stressed avoiding those conditions using the acronym HURT (Hurried, Upset, Reckless or Tired) to help orient workers in the pursuit of 100-percent safe performance while providing McDonough’s services. Better hazard recognition, greater awareness of conditions and more effective controls are the critical elements to winning the “war.”
“We are giving our employees better safety planning and communication tools,” Rushing said. “Management’s focus in utilizing auditing, assessing, inspecting and investigating processes is to drive learning. This ‘war on hazards’ aligns and unites us as a company. Our company and our customers win every time we prevent an incident.”
Rushing joined McDonough last year. He is tasked with developing and implementing HSE policies, procedures and processes that address regulatory compliance; meeting customer requirements; improving overall HSE performance, and developing safety leadership.
“Our safety culture is maturing, which shapes our shared beliefs, values and attitudes,” Rushing said. “Everyone has to get involved in the safe performance of every task and how critical that is in achieving our goals and objectives.”
McDonough is headquartered in Houston, with full-service locations in Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, Kansas City and Los Angeles.
“McDonough is determined to be the best elevator company out there,” Rushing explained. “We want to innovate as our safety culture grows. McDonough is one. Our senior leadership recognizes that the vision and example it sets for safety, quality and productivity are vital. We’ve set the bar high, and we’re moving as one unit — top down and bottom up — on safety.”
How will McDonough’s “war on hazards” benefit its customers? According to Rushing, the greatest benefit for a customer is having a company on-site that gets the job done right with zero incidents.
“When you look at great companies, they excel in safe performance,” Rushing stated. “Safety is a litmus test for any organization. When you see a company that’s really getting safety right, it points to other sound processes, tools and equipment. McDonough is committed to doing what it takes to work safely and operate efficiently. When we show up on-site to service or install an elevator, it’s going to be done safely and to the highest quality standards.”
For more information on McDonough Elevators, visit www.mcdelevators.com or call (888) 525-1375.
