OHS Team Guidelines
Refer to Safety Team Teambuilding Workshop on ohschange.com.au
OHS Principles
The following principles must be followed explicitly at all times-
The safety of our people is a value that is not compromised
Safety excellence is recognized 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 behaviors are not acceptable and are addressed when observed
How To Be A Great Safety Leader
Over a 14 month period in 1994-5 BHP Minerals carried out an intensive international safety benchmarking exercise with “best in safety class” companies throughout the world. The following were the major conclusions-Executive management provides the impetus for safety performance. This means that senior management is not only committed to and supports safety, but that it insists on safety performance in a manner that is clearly understood and echoed at all levels. Management focus is the key to quality safety performance.
Being a Great Safety Leader
Elevate safety in your personal and professional priority list
Set the safety example
Send messages to your people about what you expect and value in safety
Place safety as the first agenda item of every meeting you conduct
Have regular safety meetings with your people
Reward / re-inforce good safety performance
Respond positively when safety issues are raised
Have regular safety inspections
Ensure risks are assessed & controlled
Safety & General Management -Lessons Learnt
Safety Management
1 Focus on Class 1 personal damage and use this in considerations of analysis. Class 1 damage is that which permanently alters the future of the individual. Minor injuries are not a good predictor of more serious personal damage.
2 Remove the term “accident” from your vocabulary, instead use the term “personal damage occurrence”.
3 Look for “Essential Factors” not “causes” in ‘accident” investigations. An essential factor is one without the final damage would not have occurred. Use the Analysis Reference Tree-Trunk method of investigation.
4 Look to Hazard Identification / Risk Assessment / Hazard Control processes for rough rather than definitive guidance on what to do. The reality is that without a National Class 1 data base a lot of these deliberations are subjective. Too much emphasis is placed on risk assessment scores.
5 The number one job of a safety leader (and any leader for that matter) is to transmit and embed high value standards.
6 When initiating safety change (and any change for that matter) remember “People support what they create”.
7 When facilitating safety learning for adults use Action & Experiential learning models that promote critical reflection. Minimise the use of lecture-style presentations.
8 Management focus is the key to quality safety performance.
9 Use Haddon’s 10 Countermeasures rather than the Hierarchy of Controls when developing countermeasures.
10 Do not take yourself too seriously as if you do you will have difficulty coping with the fact many will not share your passion for safety.
11 Use personal damage occurrences, not emotion, to guide your preventative efforts.
12 Be a life-long learner in a variety of fields, not just OHS.
General management
1 Nothing is more central to an organisations effectiveness than its ability to transmit accurate, relevant & understandable information amongst its members.
2 If it is not face to face it is not communication. Frame communications relevant to the receivers work environment rather than to corporate goals & mission
3 Build trust through appropriate self-disclosure.
4 Use humour to reinforce your messages.
5 It is often the relationships you build, not your technical skills, that determines success.
6 Everything you do must pass the real world test.
7 Challenging the status quo is a lot of fun and very satisfying, much better than putting up with fools and mediocrity. Being a bit of a stirrer is an admirable approach provided it is done in a sensitive manner.
8 Do not get too focused on work, your family should come first.
9 Learn the skills of reflective listening, they can make your life much easier
10 Value and produce succinct written communications
A ex-manager of mine, who has a way with words, says the trouble with safety is that management and safety professionals sometimes engage in acts of public masturbation! I apologise if anyone finds the foregoing offensive but my belief is it is an admittedly crude, but accurate, way of describing some of the things I have seen happen in both safety and general management.
Creating high performing teams
Get the vision, scope and objectives right
Create expectations
Call a spade a spade
Get the right people
Require people to do their homework
Never move slowly on critical personal issues
Constantly upgrade skills
Build trust through appropriate self-disclosure
Consider “What’s in it for me” from the perspective of the other person
Create short-term wins
Celebrate success
Clearly defined roles
Have fun
Be a bit crazy when appropriate (calculated risk-taking is good!)
OHS Goals
Goals must reflect high performance and be realistic and achievable. Goals will be stretch targets. From time to time you will be set tasks that initially you think are not realistic and achievable. You will be fully briefed on all tasks set in a co-operative manner, you will have an opportunity to give input on how the task will be achieved and to express any reservations about the manner in which the task is to be achieved and time frames, these will be developed co-operatively when we have that luxury. It is recognised other things may not end up being achieved to achieve the targets set, we need to negotiate on what these things will be. Regular progress reports will be required in a format to be agreed and at agreed frequencies. I will support you in your tasks so do not hesitate to let me know if you are experiencing difficulties.