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Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
Adverti$$er
August 2025 #17313 Page #52
What a Flight on Japan Airlines Taught Me About Visual Safety Culture
O
n a recent trip from Seattle to Vietnam via Tokyo, I flew on Japan Airlines and was struck by more than just the exceptional hospitality. What stood out most was their disciplined safety culture, specifically how their flight attendants conducted safety checks. As they walked the cabin before takeoff and landing, I noticed a practice that felt refreshingly deliberate: verbalizing the check and pointing to each item visually as they confirmed it. It wasn’t just procedural, it was purposeful. That small act resonated deeply with me.
By Ben Hershey CEO, 4Ward Solutions Group
The Missed Opportunity in Our Plants In offsite manufacturing, we talk a lot about building lean and safety cultures. But too often, those cultures become overly verbal, routine, and disengaging, especially for the younger generations on our teams. Millennials and Gen Z, who now make up a significant portion of the workforce, are visual-first learners. They’re conditioned by the digital tools we use every day, yet many of our safety practices still rely on outdated briefings and rote reminders. Visual cues, whether it’s pointing during a safety check, using standardized work visuals, or physically modeling a behavior, aren’t just nice to have. They’re how people learn. They’re how safety becomes part of the culture, not just the compliance manual.
Visual Management Isn’t Just Lean It’s Human Visual management is one of the cornerstones of lean teaching and training, but we often forget that it’s also rooted in how people learn and retain information. Studies and practical experience alike confirm that visual cues dramatically improve recall and compliance. In safety checks, visual confirmation (like pointing at gantry rollers, fire extinguishers, lockout stations, or eyewash areas) reinforces not only the task but the accountability behind it.
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