As Workplace Safety Partners, we are fortunate to be able to work in different businesses each day and interact with many leaders and workers in the process. We can see their safety maturity at different stages and partner with them on their journey to develop, implement and sustain effective Health and Safety management solutions.
When we look at a business risk profile, many aspects of the business share some common risks. One of these, of course, is the risk of harm to its workers.
Whether they are employees, contractors, volunteers or in other work arrangements such as a shared workplace, people are fundamental to any business success. Our collective objective as business leaders is to ensure we understand the businesses risks and ensure there are effective controls in place to manage risks as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).
To achieve this level of effective risk management, as leaders, we need to self-check ourselves and ask the right questions.
Ask yourself:
- Do I understand the potential risks in the business – particularly the ones that could cause major harm to workers?
- Are the controls I have in place effective? How am I sure of this?
- What do my frontline workers think of the effectiveness of these controls?
- Are workers involved in developing and reviewing controls such as procedures, training programmes, etc?
- Do we manage the risk impacts from change in the business?
- As a leader, am I visible, do I demonstrate I care about my workers and do I engage with my workers frequently enough?
There has been plenty of advice floated over the last few years about how to lead workplace safety. Some of this is based on scare tactics and must be confusing for leaders when trying to find their way.
Whether you follow the Safety 1, Safety 2, Safety differently, or the next wave of Safety process, it’s important to ensure you bring your focus to what matters most - your people.
Make sure you are constantly:
- engaging with them
- creating an environment where they can participate in Health and Safety
- being a leader of the Health and Safety systems – make it the way you do business
- staying aware of the risks your workers are exposed to – if you're not sure what these are, find out
- ensuring your workplace safety risk controls are effective – check and monitor them regularly
- recognising the safe practices your workers routinely follow
- visible and present for your workers
We understand that managing and leading workplace safety can appear to be difficult. As your partner, our mission is to support you with workable solutions, coach your leaders and ensure effective management systems.
What's Next?
We support your leaders and H&S professionals to become true ‘Safety Champions’ with our Workplace Health & Safety Management Leadership Mentoring and Coaching.
Find out more and enquire about this service here.
