Safety Leadership in Unprecedented Times - Part 1

The last 2 years has seen significant changes in the way we work. More people work remotely, and work processes including supervision is done differently.

Research tells us that stressed employees are more likely to cause or be involved in accidents. We are living in more stressful times, I think you will agree, hence safety professionals are faced with new challenges in managing safety in the workplace.

First, we have to identify we can motivate our workers to continue working safely despite the challenges in our world today. Next, we need to deal with emerging risk arising due to changes in work process and routines. For instance, nobody wants a colleague working on a power line while worried that they may be laid off. This may result in them not following prescribed safety protocols to appear efficient and saving the business money. If this happens the likelihood of them or a member of their team been involved in an accident is increased.

It is important to note that this type of circumstance may be an emerging risk in the workplace that is not identified in the risk register. Hence, safety leaders must adapt and adopt pro-active measures to mitigate risk and if necessary get additional support to fulfill their duty of care.

Below are 4 of the Essential Strategies you need to know:

1. Authenticity

When workers are stressed about a task or a new process, they want their concerns addressed genuinely. Safety leaders must understand that regardless of how insignificant a change might seem it could have a negative effect on an employee. Good safety leaders are empathetic and not dismissive of the workers concern, they find a way to resolve the issues in a manner that is safe and efficient.

Being authentic and transparent helps your team trust that their safety and wellbeing is priority while the business remains profitable. Even if there are gaps in the safety system, knowing that the safety leader is actively working to close the gaps helps the team to religiously adhere to short and mediums term controls to manage their safety and wellbeing in the workplace.

2. Support from Experts e.g. consultants

Managing new and emerging risk and hazard in the workplace can be very challenging. This is especially true when the safety leader though proficient in some aspects of safety, might not have experience in others.

What makes a good safety leader a good is having the understanding that in some cases an expert opinion is required to keep the workplace safe. They seek out very good and experienced consultants to support their safety initiatives. They do not generally look for the cheapest option, rather they consider which consultant will help them achieve their set outcome. These consultants should not just be able to give generalized advise but their advice should be tailored in a manner that is practical and easily implemented within the local business.

3. Building a Sense of Community in the Workplace

When workplaces have a sense of community workers feel a sense of importance and belonging to the business. According to studies this leads to job satisfaction and the overall increase in worker productivity hence resulting in the business posting better profit margins.

While facing uncertainties, worker who feel valued by their team tend to cope better compared to workers who feel isolated.

Safety leaders must be intentional in their approach in building a sense of community in the workplace. Note that this should not be restricted by geographical location for example:

• Organise short game times during lunch and make it accessible to workers working remotely. This will help the team bond and feel more connected and comfortable with others in the business.

• Encourage managers to schedule catch ups with their team to find out how they are coping with the difficult season. It is important to note that this does not have to be formal, it could be the manager walking around the office in the morning asking the team how they are doing.

4. Having a Contingency Plan

While when and or work processes continues to change at a huge pace, many businesses are not ready for that change. A contingency plan does not always have to be complex or overly complicated, however it requires careful consideration, planning and input from all stakeholders. Designing an effective contingency plan may require the input of a safety consultant with expertise in that area.

Every worker needs to be trained in the contingency plans, as well as simulations or drills organised to review the effectiveness of the plans and the required changes implemented.

Failure to have or train workers in safely implementing contingency plans, for example in their work process,  may lead to more accidents in the workplace.

Overall, in Part 1 of this newsletter we have addressed why authentic safety leadership is essential, the importance of have a team of safety experts support the safety leaders on risk and hazard they are less familiar with, how having a strong community in the workplace can help build worker resilience and wellbeing and finally the role of a good contingency plan in managing safety in challenging times.