28th April 2021


On the occasion of World Day for Health and Safety at Work

Chris Camilleri, EHS and SMC Director, talks about the importance placed on Health and Safety at Work

 

On the occasion of World Day for Health and Safety at Work, celebrated internationally on the 28th of April this year, Crane Currency asked Christopher Camilleri, Currency’s International Environmental, Health Safety and Security Materials Control Director, to share some insights on the subject of safety and security.

 

Christopher Camilleri, Currency’s International Environmental, Health Safety and Security Materials Control Director

 

HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIRES TRAINING AND COMMITMENT

Chris began with noting that safety and security “go hand in hand”. In the currency industry, security is an obvious mission, but the highest levels of security cannot be achieved if safety is lacking. And safety, like security, is an ongoing pursuit requiring a strong culture to succeed. A culture that drives beneficial and lasting behavior is nourished by principles and values that are shared across the team, but Chris acknowledged that these are neither created nor sustained without training, continual engagement and a thoughtful and committed approach to safety.

 

“Companies and managers must embrace policies, organization and ongoing investment in its people at all levels in order to instill a culture of safety, security and well-being.” That said the pay-off is worth it. “Having a good safety culture at Crane Currency helps to keep accidents at zero and ensures we are in conformity with legislation, and able to meet our customers’ needs,” explained Chris.

 

Safety is the first principle of the Crane Business System (CBS), a global continuous improvement process that sees Safety as a starting point that is followed by Quality, Delivery, Cost and Growth. Chris pointed out that the order of those words is intentional and important. “Meeting the requirements of Crane’s many customers can only be met by ensuring the safety and security of the people and communities responsible for delivering on those commitments.”

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF LOOKING OUT FOR EACHOTHER

The manufacturing sites of Crane Currency engaged in the production of security features, banknote papers and finished banknotes use processes and machinery that generate hazards. Crane Currency ensures it has the right safety programs in place to mitigate these, including ‘Identification of Risk’ programs, which cascade awareness across all levels of the organization, from top to bottom, and importantly from the ‘bottom up’. Not surprisingly, Currency associates have the responsibility to follow workplace safety practices at all times, but Chris emphasized how Crane Currency’s implementation of ‘CBS’ goes an extra step by actively encouraging and rewarding associates to call out potential hazards. In fact, Chris shared that “of the many various mechanisms in place to promote safety at work and reporting, ‘safety observations’ is one of our most important protocols.” The number of observations is reported out each week to the international leadership team, and the number of these signal a safety culture that is producing a high level of associate awareness of risks that can be addressed proactively.

 

Health and safety culture starts on day one of an associate’s introduction to Crane Currency and remains a part of their continuous training. A good safety culture requires clear and designated roles and responsibilities within the organization, but Chris acknowledges the necessity that a ‘passion for safety’ support those processes, “It’s the human-side of the safety culture that helps us to move quickly to embrace changes in order to counter safety risks as they become known.”

 

RECOGNIZING EFFORTS IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY

As suppliers and customers regularly visit Crane Currency, their safety is also in the forefront of Chris’ thinking. Acknowledging that customer visits to Crane’s facilities have all but stopped due to the pandemic, Chris was extremely pleased by the company’s recent recognition as Currency Provider of the Year, by the news service Central Banking. “The Covid-19 pandemic brought new and unprecedented health risks to Crane’s workplace; however, with great care and discipline, Crane Currency not only managed to continue to service and adapt to our customers’ demands, but I am proud to say that we have lost not even a single day of production to the pandemic.” Accordingly, the judging panel of Central Banking was impressed by Crane’s safety record that supported the needs of clients, while continuing to innovate with the launch of new micro-optic security features. “To see this aspect of safety underscored in such an award was particularly gratifying for our team and me.”

 

When asked about the significance of a World Day for Health and Safety at Work, Chris said it is an important milestone because it creates safety awareness and brings forth opportunities for improvement, but was quick to add that healthy and safety, “never takes a day off”, and should be celebrated daily.