From 20 Injuries to Zero: Building a Safety Culture That Actually Works with Tom Fitzgerald
Prefer To Watch?
What does it actually take to move safety beyond compliance and into something that is consistently practiced across the entire workforce?
In this episode of The Safety Spotlight Podcast, Tom Fitzgerald, founder of Safety Fitz LLC, brings over five decades of experience across operations, human resources, and safety leadership. Starting his career on the production floor as a foundry supervisor, Tom developed a practical understanding of how safety succeeds or fails in real environments.
He explains how one organization reduced its incident rate from nearly 20 cases to zero by changing a core assumption: safety is not the responsibility of a single role. Instead, it becomes effective when it is shared, reinforced, and expected at every level of the organization.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why safety ownership must extend beyond a designated safety manager
- How leadership behavior and peer accountability directly influence outcomes
- The connection between lean manufacturing practices and improved safety performance
- Practical methods for building teams that actively participate in safety
- Why observation, communication, and visible leadership set the standard on the floor
Tom also reflects on lessons from his early career, the mentors who shaped his thinking, and the insights gained through years of consulting. His approach focuses on practical application rather than theory, making it relevant for both leadership and frontline workers.
Whether you oversee safety programs or work directly in operations, this conversation offers a grounded perspective on what it takes to build a culture where zero injuries is not just a goal, but an outcome.
