However many organisations fail in this, simply because they are approaching it from the wrong direction. They view safety as a separate task, one that costs money and focusses on measuring unwanted outcomes. Senior and line management is largely unengaged in this traditional, reactive approach and therefore a separate team is usually engaged for the development and implementation of Operational Health and Safety procedures.
An integrated approach
Unlike the traditional approach, the integrated approach views safety as something that is a part of how we do thingsevery day. Safety becomes something that assists businesses meet their targets and objectives simply by complementing all functions within the business instead of being viewed as an additional task or burden with added costs involved.There should be close communication, and closer exchange of information between the different businessfunctions. An integrated approach is required that addresses the interactions between people, work environment, systems/procedures, leadership/reinforcement, and culture.
Leadership is the key
An integrated safety programme can only work with the strong commitment and support from senior management.They should believe and act in a way that confirms safety is a key value of the organisation.Senior management should also ask for the staff perspectives on safety initiatives, and take into account their feedback for possible improvements. Addressing and responding to their safety concerns and finding feasible solutions should be a part of every production meeting. That way, every employee will take ownership of OHS improvement initiatives and be accountable for safety.
Recognising and rewarding good performance also helps to build staff loyalty and encourage their cooperation in the company OHS programme.
Most importantly, the company should communicate clearly that in their eyes, health and safety is equivalent to any other business objective – and deserves the same level of attention. After all, a safer work environment has been shown to increase efficiency and profits.
Make safety part of the company culture
Though having a dedicated safety person or team is almost inevitable for most company structures, safety should not be seen as their responsibility alone. Each staff member should be conscious of safety targets while performing his/her daily duties.An organisations safety culture should be resilient against pressures to take short cuts or to place production first at the risk or expense of incurring an incident.
