At Unifi, safety is a deeply embedded culture supported by systems, leadership, and technology. With over 40,000 frontline employees operating in more than 200 locations across four countries, Unifi touches more than two million flight departures annually. Leading this effort is Brian Bartal, Chief Safety Officer, who is reshaping how safety is communicated, practiced, and measured at scale.

Built on safety management principles

“Not only is the safety of our employees important, but also the safety of flight,” says Bartal, explaining Unifi’s foundation on aviation safety management system principles. One of the most critical components of that culture? A fair and just reporting environment. One that empowers every employee to speak up without fear of reprisal.

Bartal underscores the importance of messaging alignment from leadership. “Messaging is key,” he notes, citing town halls, daily safety briefings with QR-code real-time worker reporting tools, and robust training delivered through a learning management system.

From observations to action

To bring safety to life in the field, Unifi relies on Benchmark’s observation tools. These aren’t just compliance checks, they’re opportunities for coaching and proactive risk mitigation. “We also look at… the quality of those observations and the ability to identify coaching opportunities with individuals by specific leaders,” Bartal shares.

Empowering leadership

During the pandemic, Unifi faced a wave of “battlefield promotions”—employees who rose to leadership based on reliability rather than formal training. In response, they launched two tailored leadership development programs: a Contract Leader program focusing 50% on soft skills, and a Mentor Me program for frontline supervisors that devotes 80% to leadership behavior and coaching. Executives personally participate in training sessions, reinforcing company values from the top down.

Listening to and learning from the frontline

Unifi captures frontline feedback through multiple channels: Benchmark-powered hazard and recognition tools, an annual corporate survey, quarterly town halls, and friction-free QR code submissions. But Bartal stresses that their goal is not just feedback collection, it’s empowerment. “Ideally, the employees wouldn’t have to use those hazard or concern reports,” he says. “They’re going to go to supervisors who have been trained.”

Predictive safety powered by AI

In partnership with Microsoft and Lantern, Unifi built a predictive analytics model pulling in over 500 data points across 30 dimensions, including weather, turnover, training compliance, and more. “We continuously have a daily updated risk register,” Bartal explains. The result? A 22% reduction in aircraft ground damages and significant reductions in lost-time injuries, delivering not just safety, but real business impact.

What’s next: Smart glasses and exosuits

Looking ahead, Bartal is eyeing wearable tech and AI-enabled smart glasses to turn every worker into a safety observer. “We’re getting very close to being able to use the technology in that way,” he says. And with exosuits that can reduce the physical burden of lifting cargo by 40%, Unifi is advancing the frontier of safety innovation, literally from head to toe.

From predictive modeling to boots-on-the-ground coaching, Unifi is proving that safety and innovation are mutually reinforcing. When frontline workers are heard, trained, and equipped, everyone flies safer.