Executive Management Leadership Ver08. “Safety First Is Not a Slogan — It Is the Foundation of Management”
- Shigenori Tanaka
- 4月5日
- 読了時間: 3分
更新日：5月11日
Apr 05, 2026
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Throughout my career as an executive and controller, I have overseen numerous equipment installation projects in manufacturing sites around the world, serving as a bridge between the shop floor, customers, and headquarters.
Among all the elements of project execution - technology, schedule, and cost - there is one thing that I have come to value above everything else, which is:
Safety First.
🟦 An Unforgettable Incident in an Overseas Project
Several years ago, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were executing a large-scale equipment installation project overseas when a service engineer dispatched from Japan was seriously injured during onsite work.
At that time:
The dispatched staff had to work under local quarantine restrictions
I myself was required to undergo quarantine upon entering the country
The medical system was operating under unusual constraints
It was an environment full of limitations.
Although I cannot share the details, it was an incident that shook my values as an executive to the core.
The moment the accident occurred, technology, schedule, and cost all became secondary.
There was only one priority:
Protecting human life and physical safety.
Nothing else mattered.
🟦 The “Structural Risks” Behind the Accident
This was not a simple human error. It was a structural accident, caused by multiple risks overlapping.
✔ Violation of an Unwritten Safety Rule
Placing one's hand inside machinery during installation work is a serious safety violation - unacceptable in Japan or anywhere else. This violation was the direct cause of the accident.
✔ Miscommunication of Instructions
The supervisor claimed to have instructed, “Do not approach the hazardous area,” while the worker insisted, “I was never told that.” Such discrepancies are common in overseas environments.
✔ Language Barriers
Local workers communicated in their native language, and the Japanese staff may not have fully understood the situation. Warning signs can easily be lost behind language barriers.
✔ Cultural Differences
The definition of “danger” varies by country. What is standard safety practice in Japan may not be considered common sense elsewhere.
✔ Fatigue-Induced Decline in Judgment
Due to delays in installation, the two dispatched staff members were working without sufficient rest.
Fatigue leads to:
Poor judgment
Reduced hazard awareness
Memory lapses
Loss of concentration
Misalignment in instruction recognition
Fatigue was undoubtedly one of the contributing factors in this accident.
🟦 What I Did as an Executive
After the accident, I worked continuously across both the local site and Japan.
Securing medical care for the injured
Communicating with and supporting the family
Apologizing to the customer
Investigating the root cause
Developing preventive measures
Providing emotional support to those involved
As an executive, I acted with the mindset of “doing everything possible.”
Yet no matter how much we did, the emotional and physical scars of the accident could not be erased.
This experience made me realize more than ever:
Safety cannot be left to the shop floor alone.
🟦 Safety Is Protected by “Systems × Rest”
What I learned from this experience is clear.
✔ Safety cannot be ensured by training alone
People get tired, rushed, and make mistakes.
✔ Safety cannot be ensured by rules alone
Rules are meaningless if not followed.
✔ Safety cannot be ensured by systems alone
Even the best-designed system fails if workers are fatigued.
✔ Safety requires “Systems × Rest”
Designing out hazards
Standardizing work procedures
Conducting risk assessments
Capturing feedback from the shop floor
Communicating across languages and cultures
Ensuring adequate rest (with customer cooperation)
Building a culture where executives visit the site
Only when these elements come together can safety truly be protected.
🟦 The Executive's Highest Priority: Human Safety
Technology can be recovered. Schedules can be adjusted. Costs can be recouped.
But human life and physical well-being cannot be replaced.
No matter the situation, the highest priority for any executive must be:
Safety First.
🟦 Closing Thoughts
Through this experience, I came to understand the true weight of the phrase “Safety First.”
It is not a slogan. It is the foundation of management, the culture of an organization, and the lifeline of the people working onsite.
I will continue to prioritize safety above all else, in every project and at every site.
If you are facing challenges in safety management, onsite operations, or cross-cultural project execution in overseas environments, please feel free to reach out.
Contact: info@metricjapan.com
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