Can there be too much Safety Presence on a Worksite?

Can there be too much Safety Presence on a Worksite?

The other day we saw this question asked by a Safety Professional. Can there be too much safety presence on a worksite? We wondered how does this presence work for or against companies' goals to build Safety Culture and in turn, have a low-maintenance Safety Program?

This really got us thinking. What would it be like if you had an endless budget that allowed you to hire as many safety professionals as you wanted?  Would all the Safety Pros you could ask for with boots on the ground change culture and make worksites safer?

What this really made us realize is that we need to think about this differently.  We need to make sure the right kind of safety presence is on site. What does that mean?

Strong Safety Management Systems and Programs aren't just about the documents, they are also about how your Safety Leaders show up and engage with workers. This is the pivotal turning point where your Safety Program is not just focused on Safety Audit Compliance, but it also guarantees your Safety Progam is working for the worker and building Safety Culture. 

The companies we see who are passing audits with ease are the ones who have workers bought in. Workers who don't wait to be asked to contribute and participate. Safety Professionals and how they act on the job site or how their presence is perceived is one of the main contributing factors for the success of a thriving Safety Culture.

 

David Brennan, a co-founder of Safety Evolution, discusses his experiences with major projects that had large numbers of Safety Professionals onsite.

 

The top 3 strategies they used were:

  1. The Right Attitude
  2. Serving The Team
  3. Strong Processes

The right attitude is very simple. We need to make sure that we do not lead with the "Catch Them" mentality. As a safety professional, your job is not to catch the worker, but to teach and mentor the workforce so they have the ability to make the right decision. 


Look for opportunities to work with them and teach them the Why in "Why We Work Safe".


Serving the team is another great mindset that we need to be in. Our jobs as safety professionals are to ensure that our workforce and supervisors have the tools, techniques, and information that they need to be successful. 

Get involved in the planning, setup, and delivery of the project. This will give you the information to be able to first of all prepare for what is coming, and then be able to add value to your team when you are onsite. 

Imagine being able to be onsite with one of your crews for 2-3 hours and being able to add value to their work. Instead of slowing down the project, your job is to proactively work with your team to help them be better trained, organized, and prepared. 

The final strategy is to make sure you have strong processes in place for your team to succeed. You will need to not only have the processes but will need tools to explain why they are important, how they add value to your workforce's daily activities and how to use them. 

 

Watch David Deep-dive into these 3 strategies in this week's video. 

 

Every Safety professional struggles to find the time to be able to keep up with their job. 

 


A recent poll on LinkedIn showed that over 60 percent of Safety professionals spend over 12 hours a week just doing administrative work. 


 

Does this sound like you?

Jump on a free 15-minute call to learn how you can free up 4-6 hours of administrative time per week. 

Book Free Safety Assessment

 

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