Can 44,000 employees go through an entire year without incurring a single workplace accident?

      It seems impossible, until the question is rephrased: Can you go through an entire year without incurring a single workplace accident? You probaly answered yes – and so did the 43,999 co-workers around ITT. Which raises another question: If everybody thinks they can do it as individuals, why does a zero accident goal seem so daunting for the group?

      “It’s about ownership,” says Usha Wright, vice president, ITT, and director of the company’s Environment, Safety and Health (ESH) organization. “When it’s our own fingers, back, body and health at risk, we take workplace safety very seriously. But when our actions impact other people in our businesses, sometimes we aren’t as vigilant.”

      ITT is out to change that.The company is rolling out a zero accident program that aims to create a safety culture where everyone feels ownership for their own safety – and the safety of their coworkers. “Getting to Zero” – as the program is called – is getting off to a strong start. CEO Steve Loranger is a key driver. When he visits ITT plants, his questions often center on employee safety.

      “He doesn’t just ask how many widgets a machine can make, he also asks about the accident rate. And then he asks why it is not at zero, and what are you are doing about it,” says Wright. “He wants this information to be top-of-mind for everyone.”

      Following Loranger’s lead, Wright and her team benchmarked premier safety performers like Alcoa and Dupont, and then surveyed ITT businesses about their safety practices. The key questions: “What are the three most critical things keeping you from setting your accident goal at zero? And what are the three things that would add most...

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