For more than 25 years, Scott Buchanan has turned safety from a set of rules into a shared responsibility.
As Bratney’s Safety Manager, Scott helps make an “over and above” safety culture part of everyday work.
Earlier in his career, Scott helped an Iowa seed processing facility become the state’s first—and the nation’s third—to earn VPP Star status. He then mentored other seed facilities pursuing the same standard.
Under his leadership, the site also earned a record five consecutive Global Safety and Health Awards. IOSHA Consultation leaders called the facility a “flagship” example.
In Scott’s 13 years at Bratney, his approach has helped strengthen the company’s safety program and earn multiple awards from Associated Builders and Contractors, a national trade association.
How would you describe your role?
Basically, I am an exceptional salesman. I often tell salespeople that if they want a true challenge, try to sell safety every day to people that our culture has conditioned to take risks if they want to succeed.
How do you make safety resonate?
I must continually think of creative ways to communicate our message of safety and find ways to implement safety initiatives that make it easier for our people to comply. And never forget it is more about the people of our company than it is about the financial benefits of a top-quality safety program.
Why do you feel your role is important to Bratney?
Bratney learned a long time ago that if we protect our people, our people will protect our company, and in that, we will deliver each project, equipment sale or service exceeding our customers’ expectations. As the Safety Manager, I lead a program that requires significant effort from our employees. Safety doesn’t just happen organically until it has become a core value of everyone.
How do you work with employees to make safety a priority?
Our safety program puts very high expectations on each employee to be an active part of the program. Since safety is really about continuous improvement, that permeates into other aspects of their work. It helps to create an overall mindset of offering to best contribution we have each and every day.
What’s the most common mistake companies make in their safety programs?
Companies developing a safety program often take the latest “flavor of month” safety concept and try to apply it to their company directly. In the decades I have been doing safety, I have learned that, while those safety concepts have some real value, they rarely are a “plug and play” methodology for anyone’s specific people.
How do you help differentiate Bratney from the rest?
At Bratney, we make sure to shape and customize our policies and procedures to best fit our people. An example of this might be that we write our policies in plain basic language. Eliminating complicated safety jargon or legal language wherever we can…this means ANY of our people can read and understand the expectations.
What is the best part of your job?
The absolute best part of my job is the place I do it. Bratney is by far the best place I have ever worked. It is a moderate-sized company that still has the family-owned business heart. Plus, I am allowed to express myself with my office décor. I will most likely keep showing up long after they get rid of me just to continue to be a part of it.
I have been married to my wife, Melissa, for 33 years. We have seven granddaughters, and all seven were born on someone else’s birthday within the family, with the first and last ones being born on the same day!
Additionally, I am a motorsports freak!!! That includes anything with a motor that can be raced, but my favorite is the NASCAR Cup Series. I have included a picture of my office to help.