Building a Successful Safety Program

Successful Safety Programs build better houses of business. Structure, resources, communication and engagement are the four pillars needed to achieve an injury free work place while ensuring industry regulatory compliance. 

Executive Leadership is the Foundation for Structure

The term “Structure” could look very different across many industries and organizations.  The key concept to remember, regardless of your industry, is programs should be designed with two goals in mind: keep employees safe and ensure regulatory compliance.

Creating consistently safe work environments begin with having the right architects on your design team. One way to successfully drive engagement across all levels of an organization is implementing a company-wide Safety Committee.

The inclusion of executive level membership on the dedicated committee sets the foundation for a successful, dynamic program. With executive champions who provide guidance and support, committee leaders have the necessary authority to implement and set mandatory requirements to direct the program.

Investment in the Right Resources Make the Difference

Once your organization has designed the framework to manage the program, the next priority is to have the right resources in place. In today’s business economy, companies that can demonstrate having a dedicated, technically trained, professional Safety Committee, separate themselves when pursuing new business or meeting the needs of existing client requirements.

Today’s investors, in both the personal and corporate markets, are educated and savvy about the companies they choose to invest in or partner with. Companies with strong safety programs, achieved through dedicated investments in resources, such as training, education and technologies that serve to create effective OSHA compliance and focus on employee safety are strongly favored on many fronts. 

Communication is the Most Effective Tool

Paramount to the success of the Safety Program is maintaining open communication up, down and across the chain of command to ensure the operation teams receive the right information and educational support they need.  In any organization, regardless of physical layout or the hierarchy of leadership teams, it is the “boots on the ground” level of management that makes the biggest impact to the program.

The value of input that can be provided by the operations teams, production employees, supervisors and managers when developing policies and procedures ensures the practices are truly workable for all participants in the process. When the teams communicate, or when an employee brings an idea to the safety committee or management, it is critical that the committee or manager circle back with a status report to the employee or team that initiated the idea or concern.  Follow-up and providing status updates are very effective ways to demonstrate that the message is being received and heard. In turn, the employee or team will feel appreciated and will continue to strive to bring positive contributions to the organization.

Engagement is a Safety Multiplier

Employee engagement is discovered by providing employees the ability to take an active role in creating safe processes and procedures, especially those that directly impact them. When employees feel their contributions matter, they become engaged and become partners with each other and the organization to improve the overall program.

Frontline employees understand the work process and environment intimately. They are the persons best positioned to know if something is out of place, doesn’t sound right, or is not working as intended.

The term “Stop Work” is a strategy many programs implement to give an employee the authority to stop an activity or process they see or observe is an unsafe condition or behavior by a co-worker or contractor. If employees are empowered to “Stop Work” when they encounter an unsafe situation, they can often save precious time and prevent a serious incident before it occurs. 

No matter the industry, no matter the size of the organization the right blend of leadership, investment in resources, effective communication and employee engagement are the necessary pillars to support a successful Safety Program.

About the Author

Patricia Lee, Safety Program Manager

Patricia is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and OSHA Outreach Trainer. She has a tenured background in safety and OSHA compliance spanning over 20 years with expertise in writing safety programs, plans, policies and procedures, as well as conducting employee safety training, site inspections, program audits and client representation during OSHA inspections, responses and hearings.