National Safety Council announces 2010 CEOs Who ‘Get It’

The National Safety Council announced its 2010 CEOs Who "Get It," the council's annual recognition of business leaders who demonstrate world-class safety at all levels of their organizations. Through active involvement to enhance the well-being of their employees, these CEOs extend safety from workplaces into their employees' homes and communities.

This year’s roster of eight individuals represents a wide range of industries, including construction, energy, transportation and more. All understand their role as an active and visible leader by providing resources and encouraging the engagement of all employees. Their stellar safety performances stem from continual learning efforts to improve safety systems and reduce operational risk.

“Their organizations are diverse, ranging from 78 to more than 150,000 employees, but their approach to safety is not. Each leader has continuously worked to further enhance safety excellence, which has led to strong safety cultures and contributed significantly to then profitable businesses,” said Janet Froetscher, NSC president and CEO. “The National Safety Council is proud to recognize these leaders. All eight individuals have shown a dedicated approach to safety.”

Profiles of CEOs Who “Get It” are featured in the February 2010 issue of NSC’s Safety+Health magazine. Recognized this year are:

Roger Jinks, president, AMEC Earth & Environmental division, Philadelphia. Jinks closely monitors his organization’s safety program and addresses injuries both on and off the job. His passion for safety and the well-being of his employees shows in AMEC’s safety record. 

Robert E. McGough, president and CEO, DynMcDermott Petroleum Operations Company, New Orleans. As a former recipient of NSC’s Robert W. Campbell Award, McGough exemplifies the integration of environmental, health and safety management into all business processes. 

Jim McNerney, chairman, president and CEO, The Boeing Company, Chicago. In the past five years under McNerney’s leadership, Boeing’s lost-workday case rate dropped 11.8 percent. Boeing also created a company program, Safety Now, to continue this reduction and create a safer work environment.

Daniel Nobbe, plant leader, Fiberteq LLC, Danville, Ill. Nobbe established a strong safety culture as the cornerstone of his organization. At Fiberteq, safety is the No. 1 value. This is displayed through Nobbe’s commitment to create safety solutions for employees to use at work and at home. 

Keith Nosbusch, chairman and CEO, Rockwell Automation Inc., Milwaukee. Nosbusch demands the highest standards of safety to best protect employees and the environment. Rockwell Automation conducts monthly internal audits to assess safety performance and improve procedures and systems.

William H. Swanson, chairman and CEO, Raytheon Company, Waltham, Mass. Every day, employees are challenged to make Raytheon the safest place in the world to work. Swanson believes safety is a key performance metric. He ranks worksites by safety performance to hold all leaders accountable. 

Ron Vetter, president, Vetter Stone Company, Mankato, Minn. Vetter is responsible for developing a proactive safety program. Once a week, all department supervisors are required to stop work and discuss a safety issue with their employees. Safety also is encouraged through a safety incentive program.

Thomas Zarges, president of energy and construction, URS Corporation, San Francisco. In 1997, Zarges sponsored the Safety Trained Supervisor certification at URS Corporation. Today, more than 2,000 supervisors and managers are certified. Safety talks begin every meeting, and safety performance is analyzed for all incentives.

The National Safety Council (www.nsc.org) saves lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy.