Who’s Waiting for You at Home? A Better Way to Talk About Safety

Safety does not become stronger simply by adding another policy or procedure. When safety messaging becomes predictable, people tune it out. The challenge is keeping people engaged, helping them see risk differently, and connecting safety to something that genuinely matters to them.

We sat down with Justin Hinks, Director of Safety at Furniture Mart USA, to explore what that looks like across more than 70 locations and nearly 1,300 employees. With a background in education, he brings a coaching-centered perspective built on relationships and the belief that the ultimate goal is to get people home safely.

Make Safety Personal With a “Safe 2 Home” Mindset

For Justin, one of the most important shifts in safety leadership is moving beyond abstract rules and connecting safety to people's lives outside work.

During a driving training session, Justin asked employees a simple question: 

“Who’s waiting for you at home?”

One employee visibly lit up talking about his grandchildren, helping Justin recognize that safety conversations become much more powerful when they connect with what people genuinely care about.

This concept became Furniture Mart's “Safe 2 Home” mentality: safety is about making choices that allow people to return safely to their families.

Never Put Safety on Cruise Control

Justin also challenges one of the most common habits in safety: repetition without engagement.

Sending the same safety email every year might satisfy a requirement, but once people know what is coming, they stop paying attention.

“In our career field, we can't be in cruise control. Right? Safety matters too darn much to put it in cruise control."

Justin compares this to putting safety on cruise control. Drawing from his background in education, he emphasizes that while the core safety message remains important, the way we communicate it must evolve.

Build Trust Before You Audit

Managing safety across dozens of locations creates another challenge: how do you conduct meaningful site visits without creating an “us versus them” relationship?

Managing safety across dozens of locations requires trust. Unannounced visits can trigger defensiveness, making it harder to spot real problems.

Justin instead announces visits and uses them to build relationships. A simple invitation like “I'm going to be in your area next week. I'd love to grab a coffee,” turns audits into constructive conversations.

Change the Perspective to Reveal Hidden Hazards

Repeated exposure can make unsafe conditions feel normal. Justin uses perspective-building exercises—like turning off lights in a familiar space—to force employees to re-examine their environment.

"I flipped the light switch off in my son's room and said, ' Everything in your room is now an obstacle and a danger. When I flipped it back on, I said, " Do you see how your perspective changes? Every little decision we make influences an outcome." 

When employees discover hazards themselves, the lesson sticks, transforming inspections into collaborative risk awareness.

Turn Environmental Challenges Into Business Opportunities

When Furniture Mart faced a major Styrofoam waste challenge, the team sought a solution that balanced environmental and operational needs.

"We came up with, through our peer group, a machine that both heats and condenses Styrofoam. It saved hundreds of tons of Styrofoam a year from going into the landfill, and now it's not a cost center; it's a profit center."

The system diverts hundreds of tons of Styrofoam from landfills annually to be recycled into new products, turning an environmental expense into a profit center.

Lead Safety Like a Coach

As a former educator and principal, Justin views safety leadership through a coaching lens. Great safety leaders do not just enforce rules; they explain why controls matter and motivate better decision-making.

What Safety Leaders Can Put to Work Today:

• Make safety personal: Connect safety conversations to the people and things employees genuinely care about.
• Avoid safety autopilot: Keep training and communications fresh rather than relying on the same messages every year.
• Build relationships before inspections: Use site visits to develop trust and create more open conversations about risk.
• Challenge familiar perspectives: Find ways to help employees see hazards they may have become accustomed to overlooking.
• Look for shared business value: Explore safety and environmental initiatives that can also improve operations or create financial value.
• Develop coaching skills: Safety leadership is not just about technical knowledge. Teaching, motivating, and building relationships are equally important.

Effective safety leadership is about helping people see risk and make better choices. Justin's “Safe 2 Home” philosophy reminds us that behind every employee is someone waiting for them to come home.

Listen to the full conversation with Justin Hinks on The Canary Report.

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