Maintaining a Culture of Safety at Work
What does it take to keep a company of 19,000+ people safe, whether they’re working with a grinding machine on the shop floor or managing a team?
The simple answer is that it takes all 19,000+ of those people, at all levels, working together every day to prevent accidents, offer feedback and point out potential concerns.
Xavier Lenormand, manager of quality and environmental, health and safety at Timken’s plant in Colmar, France, offers a view into what safety at Timken looks like in practice. He acts as a fulcrum between upper management, workers on the shop floor, and Timken customers — making sure that, whatever process or demand is on the agenda, safety is always the #1 priority.
Q: What does it mean to put safety first at Colmar?

Xavier Lenormand, manager of quality and environmental, health and safety at Timken’s plant in Colmar, France.
Lenormand: It means that whatever new project or process is under discussion, we think first about the safety implications. It’s the main priority. There’s never a reason to do things in a way that puts people at risk.
It’s not always easy, but for me it comes down to a simple equation: I can explain operational challenges. It’s much more difficult, however, to explain to top management, to the family, to colleagues why someone has been injured. I never want to be faced with that.
Q: How do you approach workplace safety at Colmar?
Lenormand: Safety isn’t a technical issue that can be solved with data, although data is important to our process. We’re talking about human behavior, so it’s about building relationships and trust, and developing a culture of shared responsibility.
Management must provide clear safety requirements and practices, but that’s never enough. People are usually happy to comply, but they need to understand “the why”, so discussion and feedback are part of the process.
Part of my job is also to stay on top of internal dynamics that can create potential risks, and this is where my 30 years at Colmar serves me well. I was a shift supervisor for 10 years, so when I got to this position, I knew the people and the processes.
Safety is also about relationships, the social climate, personal struggles, and how well people feel included and valued. One person’s well-being can affect their ability to support their teammates. I stay in close touch with my team and my colleagues, so I can understand and empathize with those dynamics — and take action, when necessary.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you?
Lenormand: There’s really no such thing. This morning, I started with a short celebration in the tooling department because we had completed a complicated retrofit of some existing equipment to improve safety and efficiency.
I also completed a precaution-based safety observation, which is a daily practice for everyone here. We perform those in pairs, and the point is to engender a culture of constantly thinking about what we do in terms of avoiding potential risks and improving working conditions.
We also have a construction project going on, so concrete trucks have been going in and out for two days. It’s my job to make sure everyone is taking the proper precautions.
Q: It’s a high-pressure job. What drives you?
Lenormand: I guess I’m an optimist. You could compare me with a fireman, who faces the occasional bad situation but who also enjoys the pressure and risk. I have a deep affection for my colleagues here. It’s my responsibility to stand strong for them and keep them safe, so that’s what I do.
Motion-capture technology empowers Timken manufacturing teams to assess the ergonomic safety of their jobs and processes, so they can identify activities that could cause injury and protect themselves from the wear and tear of everyday stressors. Read more.
Last Updated: 2025/01/28
Published: 2025/01/17