Safety Program Keeps Colleagues Connected in the Field

When Otis field professionals encounter a safety issue, we want them to speak up and stop work to ensure the well-being of themselves and each other. As one of our Otis Absolutes, safety is a non-negotiable part of the job and our goal remains the same: We want every colleague to return home safe every day.

Otis mechanic Dino Digristina feels strongly about our safety culture, volunteering his time to serve as co-lead of our Field Associate Safety Team (FAST) in Chicago. Dino – along with other volunteers from the Maintenance, Repair, and Modernization teams – acts as a liaison between colleagues in the field and branch leadership.

“I present photos, information, and whatever I have, to assist the mechanics out in the field so they feel safe and comfortable in sharing any hazards they see. We want people to be up front and honest,” he said.

Otis implemented FAST teams several years ago to provide an additional, convenient communications channel for field professionals to share real-time experiences with branch management. FAST members share feedback and information directly with senior leadership and provide takeaways from their conversations to teams in the field, ensuring a two-way dialogue. Since then, the FAST teams have made a difference in Otis’ safety practices. They:

• Encourage use of training apps to enhance engagement in field initiatives
• Identify areas of improvement for items affecting day-to-day activities, such as: shipping materials, tooling and safety bags
• Create a culture of transparency and feedback all day, every day

Ryan Keane, Director of EH&S for Otis North America, and a founder of the FAST program, says it is uniquely Otis, driving actions in the field and opening lines of communication about each of the Otis Absolutes, not just safety.

“Field Associate Safety Teams have been the lifeblood of leveraging our greatest asset in our operations – our field associates. This has bridged the gap in better developing a safety culture that allows voices to be heard and creates collaboration between our teams in management and our field associates,” he said.

Dino, a second-generation elevator technician, has seen many changes during his more than 20-year tenure with Otis and credits the FAST program for creating an open dialogue between the field and the branch.

“I want [the mechanics] to know that Otis is investing in them. Otis makes changes in response to feedback,” he said. “It may not happen all at once, but it happens. Otis puts its best foot forward.”