STRATEGIC SAFETY PLANNING

Some people use the term safety strategy and safety plan interchangeably. However, they are different, as we explain here, and each has a different role.

Leading companies have a clear safety vision which is designed to be aspirational and inspirational e.g., what do we want to look like and be doing in 10 years’ time?

It is not enough to simply select a nicely worded vision which becomes the “catch-cry” for workplace safety and branded everywhere, because a vision without a plan is just a dream.

To have credibility with your workforce and business stakeholders you need a plan that shows the steps and timing of activities that will progressively move the business closer to your vision.

A vision without a plan is just a dream

A strategic plan gives real meaning and long life to your vision for the organisation, as it sets measurable milestones and goals that lead to the desired vision over many years.

Remember, we may never reach our lofty vision, but we remain credible if we can demonstrate tangible efforts and progress toward our vision every year.

Our strategic plan identifies the lead strategies (key drivers) which will be necessary to achieve the desired long-term goals.

A strategic plan gives life to your safety vision

There are often a number of supporting (enabling) strategies that sit under each of the key drivers or lead strategies.

Then key projects are mapped out, and it is the activities arising from our key projects that employees see happening in their workplace.

What every safety manager is familiar with is their annual safety plan, which is the budgeted plan approved by the CEO or executive team for the next 12 months.

Safety business plans are approved annually

It is common in most organisations for departmental programs to only receive confirmed budget on an annual basis, but to be effective our strategic plan will need notional resourcing agreed for extended periods e.g., at least 3 to 5 years.

In essence, your strategy is what you want to do, and your plan is how you will do it. Therefore, every activity in your safety plan must support one or more of your strategic goals.

Every activity must support our strategic plan

For example, you may decide as part of your financial strategy that you need to eliminate expensive manual handling strain injuries from your business. Then your safety plan sets out how you will do that e.g., robot palletisers, mechanical lifting devices, trolleys, specifying lower product weights, limits on manual lifting and comprehensive manual handling training.

A safety business plan maps out our key projects for the year, as well as all the normal recurring safety activities like, inductions, risk assessments, incident investigations, safety committee meetings, training, and procedure preparation etc.

The level of resources applied to your strategic plan will, of course, need to be consistent with the risk appetite (culture) and current capacity of your organization.

In summary, arrange a workshop so your key stakeholders can explore and agree your desired inspirational and aspirational safety vision for the organisation.

Then set the milestones and goals that will be used to measure progress towards your vision, followed by establishing the lead strategies and enabling (supporting) strategies.

Once you have the foundations, outlined above, you can determine the key projects, timing, and responsibilities for your budgeted safety business plan each year.

If interested in learning how to effectively lead strategic safety planning in your organization call or email us now.