Developing a Strategic Safety Plan (In some organisations the distinction between strategic & operational plans becomes blurred)

Quotable Quote

"A health & safety problem can be described by statistics but cannot be understood by statistics. It can only be understood by knowing and feeling the pain, anguish, and depression and shattered hopes of the victim and of wives, husbands, parents, children, grandparents and friends, and the hope, struggle and triumph of recovery and rehabilitation in a world often unsympathetic, ignorant, unfriendly and unsupportive, only those with close experience of life altering personal damage have this understanding"

Form a project team to develop the plan. Formal and informal influencers should be on the team

If a thorough OHS audit has not been carried out recently conduct one

Analyse past accident experience

Drive safety culture and safety change through a robust Safety Management System that is constantly monitored and reviewed and is targeted at the identified needs of the organisation (Refer to “What Makes a Safety Management System Fly” on ohschang.com.au)

Carry out a force-field analysis with a cross-section of stakeholders

Develop objectives / goals / mission /values

Define how to meet the requirements, develop targets, timelines, deliverables

Develop key performance indicators, these must be a mix of lead & lag indicators

Whatever you develop must be simple and succinct

Involve the stakeholders

Reality test your draft with the workforce

Develop a 1 year plan and review at that time

Regularly monitor success in the implementation of the plan

COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE in a way that inspires

Have huge but realistic goals

Do the simplest thing that will work

When initiating change remember “People support what they create” Initiating change is difficult at the best of times, if you do not involve those affected by the change in the change process it is unlikely to work.

Identify and separate customer needs from wants

Use face to face communication whenever possible

Use real world approaches not theory

Get some runs on the board quickly

Have high expectations and communicate them

Drive safety from the top of the organisation

Know your people

Be loyal

Question the status-quo

Do what gives you the biggest bang for your buck

Minimise the bureaucracy and bull-shit

Carefully define the scope of any project you take on

Passive countermeasures (That do not rely on action by the human being) are preferred to Active countermeasures

Zero-Harm Principles

It is recommended a set of Zero-Harm principles be developed , promoted in company literature and explained to employees eg.

“The safety of our people is a value that is not compromised

Safety excellence is recognised as good business

Leaders at all levels are safety role models

Effective safety leadership is a pre-requisite for promotion

People are aware of the hazards and risks of their employment and act accordingly

Compliance with safety standards and procedures is absolute

At risk behaviours are not acceptable and addressed when observed”