ZIP: Please briefly describe your tenure with the city

Terrance York: I began my tenure with the City of Houston in 1992 at the Houston Airport System. After spending 24 years working in various roles at IAH, I accepted the division manager position with the Fleet Management Department in 2015. My primary responsibility when I started with FMD was overseeing the NAPA parts contract; however, after visiting a couple of maintenance locations, I discovered a need to develop a safety culture within the organization.

ZIP: What is your job title and how long have you been in your current role?

Terrance: Division manager, 2015.

ZIP: How were you introduced to safety? How did you become interested in it?

Terrance: Working in the aviation industry, safety has always been a focal point of interest. When I transitioned over to Fleet Management, I quickly recognized gaps in our organization and began working to shift our culture. This was accomplished through a series of monthly facility inspections with an emphasis on safety, housekeeping and accountability.

ZIP: What key message do you want COH employees to understand about the importance of safety?

Terrance: There isn’t an inherent cost for establishing good safety practices within an organization. However, doing nothing can lead to an organization being strapped with a great deal of legacy claims.

ZIP: What projects are you and your team currently working on?

Terrance: FMD is currently working on developing an onsite training facility for mechanics. We’re partnering with HR Risk Management to develop a Job Safety Analysis that will coincide with training development plans, ensuring we reduce the number of incidents within the department.

ZIP: Does your department have a safety committee? If so, how often does the safety committee meet?

Terrance: Yes, we meet monthly.

ZIP: Are you familiar with the ZIP safety initiative? If so, how will ZIP work towards workplace safety for your department?

Terrance: I believe that ZIP has provided a pathway for improving workplace safety by creating training modules for COH employees. FMD has incorporated ZIP training as part of our onboarding process for all new hires.

ZIP: Can you list a specific example of improvement in workplace safety?

Terrance: A specific example of improving workplace safety in Fleet has been our efforts to reduce the number of hazards which exist in the maintenance work environment. Most of these have been accomplished through the removal of obsolete and damaged equipment.

ZIP: Are you optimistic that you and your colleagues’ efforts are working?

Terrance: I’m very optimistic that our team is working to improve the safety culture in FMD.