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Leading the safety way
September 1, 2009 By: Jay Johnston LPGasIn the 35 years that I have promoted safety leadership, I have met with indifference, intolerance and arrogance when making a commitment to safety.
However, I also have been blessed and inspired to work with a small group of companies that live and breathe safety leadership every day.
Most companies put someone in charge of safety and tell them, “Here is the budget – now don’t screw up.” Under those circumstances, managers manage as best as they can with limited resources and marginal commitments from management.
What truly can define a profitable company are focused leaders who establish guidelines, not only for doing it right but doing the right thing.
The best managers and safety directors have a mission or motto when communicating with employees about safety. It is a leadership style, rather than just a management style.
Some examples include:
• “Become a safety leader or get out of the way.”
• “The single, most important action a propane professional can take is to consistently keep safety and compliance in front of all employees.”
• “The absence of accidents or incidents does not necessarily indicate the presence of safety.”
• “Not on my watch.”
• “Profitable results through safety leadership.”
• “Safety is no accident ... safety starts at the top.” Signed: your safety and compliance leader.
Without leadership communication, safety becomes a matter of luck and mechanical function rather than a focus on inspiring profitable results.
There is no such thing as a good propane accident. Even near misses are dangerous; unless they are used as an example to avoid similar future incidents, you may not be so lucky next time.
I call a fire with no injuries or death a semi-near miss. There is little incentive to go after your high insurance limits. However, with bad luck, it could still be a $500,000 to a $1 million property damage claim.
After an accident, all of those little things you failed to document will add up to allegations of liability – whether or not your actions or inactions were directly related to the cause.
Do-it-yourselfers can and will exercise their right to work on their systems without qualifications, training or an understanding of code and compliance.
After an accident involving bodily injury or death, the propane company who supplies their gas will be under safety scrutiny. It may seem that with obvious tampering or poor workmanship on the homeowner’s part, your company should be exonerated. But plaintiff’s attorneys will cast doubt on your safety process, your employees’ aptitudes and management’s leadership style.
Leadership requires discipline, effort and sacrifice. Juggling a full schedule with a focus on profitability and growth can be challenging. Issues like safety can take a backseat, resulting in poor focus on compliance and little inspection of safety expectations.
Workplace safety is an example of where safety leadership can really make a difference. A work-related injury can take away a valuable employee for a significant amount of time, racking up lost time and medical expenses that can really hurt your bottom line.
Wearing proper personal protection equipment will satisfy OHSA requirements and prevent accidents. But attitudes and aptitudes toward compliance on the part of employees can and will be shaped by leadership.
Be careful of employees who do wrong things well. Complacency is a slippery slope. Keep in mind that injuries may be preventable if management leads the way with safety.
At your next managers meeting, I suggest you discuss safety leadership in relation to the specific exposures of your company.
Remember, safety is no accident – it starts with leading the safety way.