On a recent trip from Seattle to Vietnam via Tokyo, I flew on Japan Airlines and was struck by more than just the exceptional hospitality. What stood out most was their disciplined safety culture, specifically how their flight attendants conducted safety checks. As they walked the cabin before takeoff and landing, I noticed a practice that felt refreshingly deliberate: verbalizing the check and pointing to each item visually as they confirmed it. It wasn’t just procedural, it was purposeful. That small act resonated deeply with me.
The Missed Opportunity in Our Plants
In offsite manufacturing, we talk a lot about building lean and safety cultures. But too often, those cultures become overly verbal, routine, and disengaging, especially for the younger generations on our teams. Millennials and Gen Z, who now make up a significant portion of the workforce, are visual-first learners. They’re conditioned by the digital tools we use every day, yet many of our safety practices still rely on outdated briefings and rote reminders.
Visual cues, whether it’s pointing during a safety check, using standardized work visuals, or physically modeling a behavior, aren’t just nice to have. They’re how people learn. They’re how safety becomes part of the culture, not just the compliance manual.
Visual Management Isn’t Just Lean It’s Human
Visual management is one of the cornerstones of lean teaching and training, but we often forget that it’s also rooted in how people learn and retain information. Studies and practical experience alike confirm that visual cues dramatically improve recall and compliance. In safety checks, visual confirmation (like pointing at gantry rollers, fire extinguishers, lockout stations, or eyewash areas) reinforces not only the task but the accountability behind it.
And this isn’t about adding complexity, it’s about clarity. A visual safety walkthrough, whether at shift start or before a machine is operated, gives both new and experienced team members a tangible signal: safety is active, not passive. And it brings energy to what can otherwise be seen as mundane.
Bring Safety to Life
This is a great opportunity to reenergize our Gemba walks and leadership routines. Let’s not just “walk” the floor. Let’s model the behavior.
What can we do as leaders?
- Revisit your safety walks. Don’t just observe—demonstrate. For example, wear your PPE in the proper areas and show others how to do the same. Lead by example.
- Use visual checklists and signage that prompt behavior, not just awareness. Instead of generic safety signs have the sign say something specific like “Is this guard locked in position?” or “Test the E-Stop…does it rebound correctly?”
- Encourage your team to point, touch, and engage with what they’re checking. An example might be that before the gantry is activated to roll a truss, the operator points and says the word clear in various key places on the table to ensure no one or “thing” like a staple gun is in the area where the truss is going to be rolled.
- Reinforce that safety is active, not passive. Create a near miss/good catch system for recording leading indicators instead of just lagging.
Visual management isn’t just a lean tool. It’s a leadership tool.
Final Thought
If a flight attendant on a trans-Pacific route can reinforce safety with every gesture, we can do the same in our operations. As leaders, we set the tone not just with our words but with our actions, especially the visual ones.
If you’re looking for ways to build a stronger visual culture around safety and lean practices, my team at 4Ward Solutions Group would be honored to help. Let’s build safer, smarter operations together.