Safety Dojo On-The-Go

The Boeing Mobile Interactive Safety Exhibit “Drives” Safety Culture and Innovative Solutions

Working from a pull-behind trailer about the size of a food truck, the Boeing Safety Dojo team connects manufacturing teammates and other employees with innovative tools to improve on-the-job safety and quality, and eliminate foreign-object debris.

Boeing’s brick-and-mortar Safety Dojo is located in the company’s production facility in Everett, Washington, in the heart of the largest manufacturing building in the world by volume (just over 98 acres). The Safety Dojo is dedicated to helping employees explore, discuss, innovate and replicate safer ways to do their jobs. The word “dojo” is a Japanese term meaning a place of sharing and learning. 

Since its introduction in 2016, over 54,000 people have visited Boeing’s Safety Dojo. Access to the Safety Dojo was limited to those who work in or visit the Everett facility – until now.

To reach a broader audience the Safety Dojo team developed the “Safety Dojo on-the-go” exhibit, which puts the best of the physical dojo into a trailer that travels to other Boeing sites.

“We decided if you can’t come to the party, then we’ll bring the party to you,” said Craig Morgan, Safety Dojo leader.

So far, the mobile Safety Dojo has toured the state of Washington, visiting facilities in Renton, Auburn, Frederickson, Kent and Burien. “Communication is a big part of what these trips are all about,” says Morgan. “We help manufacturing teams and other stakeholders learn about and replicate innovative safety and quality solutions that have been developed through the Safety Dojo and its partnership with Boeing Research & Technology and the Boeing Innovation Cells.”

This effort aligns with Boeing’s values and its Seek, Speak & Listen habits intended to create a culture of trust, care and connection by encouraging team members to seek out different perspectives, to speak up with ideas or concerns, and to listen and learn from one another. Employees visit the Safety Dojo to seek out a safer way to do their jobs. There, they are encouraged to speak up if they have a concern, and the Safety Dojo team listens to what is needed and works to identify existing solutions or develop new ones. In addition to introducing some ingenious tools, this process helps to promote and grow our safety culture.

One of the popular innovations currently on display in the Safety Dojo is a vacuum drill guide handle that was developed as a safety solution. It prevents 96% of the composite dust caused by drilling from getting on mechanics. The genesis of this successful solution was a 777 mechanic who brought his concern to the Safety Dojo team.

The team believes that when you fix a safety issue, you also help improve production quality. The “Safety Dojo on-the-go” expands the reach of its impact on safety, quality and our environment by providing a mobile, one-stop safety shop for resource identification, safety education, site solution replication and idea generation.

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