Eduardo Blanco-Munoz, Group HSSE Director at Spie Batignolles, emphasizes that safety professionals should coach line managers to demonstrate that safety is a core value for them and the organization. This involves establishing and adhering to safe practices and managerial routines that not only support these practices but also give them meaning and purpose.
Building on this idea, let鈥檚 explore the areas within your organization where a safety professional should be actively involved: the purchasing department, the maintenance team, and project managers selecting subcontractors.
Purchasing Department: The primary goal of purchasing is to secure the best price for goods and services. However, if safety specifications are not emphasized, you might end up with low-cost products that don鈥檛 offer adequate protection. For example, not all safety glasses are created equal. When listing safety equipment in the company鈥檚 purchasing system, double-check to ensure compliance with your specifications. Attend vendor meetings and annual purchasing reviews to ensure adherence to safety standards.
Maintenance Team: Maintenance crews are often the first to notice problems in the plant, ranging from minor repairs to near-miss incidents involving damaged equipment or structures. Establish a working relationship with the maintenance supervisor to stay informed about these incidents. Regular meetings can help identify which issues need further investigation. Additionally, reinforce the importance of replacing machine guards after repairs, as this step is often overlooked.
Subcontractor Selection: Safety professionals must be involved in the subcontractor bidding process to establish an approved list of subcontractors. While project managers focus on performance criteria, a subcontractor鈥檚 poor safety performance should be a deal-breaker. Evaluate safety issues such as their Experience Modification Rating (EMR), past OSHA citations, and the quality of their OSHA-required written programs. A low bid might win the contract, but it could also expose the company to significant risks, including fatal incidents or OSHA inspections.
Building Rapport: The saying goes, 鈥淧eople don鈥檛 care what you know until they know that you care.鈥� Safety professionals should establish rapport with hourly employees, ideally during frequent production floor or job site reviews. The best time to make human connections is by occasionally sharing a meal in the employee breakroom. This informal interaction allows employees to bring up issues without the filter of supervisors or management. You might learn about unsafe conditions or unreported incidents that haven鈥檛 made it into the reporting system. However, if you鈥檙e new to the facility, take any information with a grain of salt and verify it independently.
While this list is not exhaustive, the key takeaway is to integrate safety concerns into all aspects of the management process. From procurement to subcontractor selection and routine maintenance, the safety professional should have multiple lines of communication to stay informed about the facility鈥檚 operations.
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