Page 16 - TN811

14 • Tennessee811
2023, Issue 4
Safety Leadership
By Sandy Redmond Scott Insurance
Does the leader of your organization communicate with all employees about the importance of safety? By far the most important element of any safety culture is the visible support from the senior leaders of the company. When you think about it, every aspect of how employees perceive safety comes from the leaders of their company. It’s great if your company has a safety director or safety consultant and engaged foremen, superintendents, and project managers, as these folks can make a huge difference in the way workers perceive safety. Ultimately though, it’s the support from the decision-maker, owner, president, or CEO that can improve a safety culture the most.
Below are some habits of excellent safety leaders.
Lead by Example – Does your leader show up on a jobsite in loafers and shorts or are they dressed for the job? It may sound like a small thing but the impression attire and demeanor make on the workforce is significant. It’s hard to get others to abide by the rules if leaders do not abide by their rules.
Exceptional safety leaders don’t just delegate the responsibility of safety to others. They demonstrate their commitment visibly. They host safety meetings, speak at the meeting, and attend the meeting so that everyone sees their commitment. Incredible safety leaders plan for safety when bidding a job and provide the financial resources necessary so that employees can perform the work safely.
Ask the Experts – The best source for safety needs and ideas comes from
the employees who do the job. Ask your employees what they think are the greatest hazards in their work and the ways to reduce those hazards. It sure
is a lot easier to get a workforce on board with safety when they are the ones providing the solutions! Consider a safety perception survey to get feedback. Or try something as simple as a jobsite lunch meeting with an open discussion about safety challenges, possible solutions. Anytime you feed employees is a good time to talk about safety.
Recognize & Reward – While all workers appreciate financial rewards for work, recognition is right at the top of what workers appreciate the most. Thanking employees for performing work safety, making meaningful safety suggestions, or reporting incidents promptly can go a long way to demonstrate leadership support for safety efforts. There are lots of ways to recognize outstanding safety behaviors from a personal conversation from the boss to delivering lunch to a crew and thanking them for what they did to deserve it.
Coach and Counsel – How does your company leader respond when a mistake is made? While we may not like to admit it, human error is normal and should be expected. Company leaders can choose how they react when an employee makes a mistake. The most effective reaction is to discuss the mistake
and coach employees on how to perform a task under varying workplace conditions. When employees don’t fear the reactions of their leader, they will be more likely to report safety-related errors and near misses so everyone on the team can learn from them.
Sandy Redmond, CRM, ALCM is a risk performance specialist for Scott Insurance. Sandy has over 30 years’ of experience in construction safety. Have questions or comments? Sandy can be reached at sredmond@scottins.com.
Working as a safety professional for over 30 years has given
me the opportunity to witness numerous examples of safety excellence in the construction industry. While OSHA compliance is certainly an important element of any safety culture, it takes more than regulatory compliance to achieve a strong safety culture.
SAFETY