Fitting OH&S into management practice
For many managers, occupational health and safety (OH&S) is seen either as a matter of complying with the law or as a way of reducing your compensation costs. I will call this the "negative" approach to OH&S - a way of reducing your risk of fines or big insurance bills. The immediate focus is then on accident prevention.
The negative approach reveals itself in many ways such as:
Heavy use of failure-measures such as lost time injury rates.
Identifying OH&S with someone in the human resources department or a safety officer.
Understanding accidents as the result of unsafe behaviour.
Relying on signage or perfunctory policy statements on the canteen wall to send the message.
Treating health and safety committees as complaint departments.
The flavour of the negative approach is easily recognisable.
A positive approach
By contrast, a positive approach is to look at OH&S as a way of improving the productivity of the business by promoting the safety and well-being of employees. The focus is on meeting corporate goals by furthering human needs.
The positive approach is also easily identifiable:
Immediate attention is placed on visitors by identifying exits, emergency procedures and appropriate equipment.
Staff retention and survey results are also used to measure performance.
Work-life balance is considered part of OH&S.
Housekeeping and health surveillance are given a high priority.
Management and supervisors consciously model safe behaviour and attend immediately to incidents in a pro-active manner.
The critical difference between the two, however, is not so much the aims,activities or measures, but the degree to which OH&S forms part of the management system itself.
In the positive approach, OH&S forms a seamless part of business planning and activity. OH&S is assumed to be part of good management practice needing just as much attention, planning and organisation that the rest of the business does. It is not a narrow compliance or cost-reduction exercise but a carefully planned investment in employees’ well-being that needs to be implemented,measured and reviewed.
A simple model
In our book, OH&S in Australia - a management guide (Toohey et al.,2005), we stress the need to be clear about the positive approach to health and safety by providing a simple model capturing its four key elements: a systematic method supported by active management commitment, genuine workplace consultation and a vibrant health and safety culture (Figure 1).
Figure 1The four elements of a positiber approach to OH&S
System
A systematic approach lies at the core and is made up of a system of linked management activities designed to continuously improve OH&S and comply with legal and business requirements. In a sense, it works like a carefully designed machine that, once set in motion, properly maintained and regularly upgraded,methodically works its way through an organisation, on its way making that organisation healthier and safer for people to work in.
It involves:
A policy committing the firm to definite goals and key activities.
Organising and identifying OH&S responsibilities, accountabilities and authorities across the entire business.
Planning activities to meet policy goals, documenting targets and performance indicators covering inputs and processes as well as outputs and outcomes.
Implementing, monitoring and reviewing the activities with a view to constant upgrading.
Consultation
Obviously, a systematic approach only works with the full and active cooperation of everyone. In addition to meeting legal requirements for information sharing, employee representation and health and safety committees,consultation must have the clear objective of reaching understanding and agreement. The quality of decision-making is enhanced, better solutions are found and the implementation of OH&S plans becomes easier.
Consultation is a real test for managers and supervisors as it raises the bar above mere open-door policies and suggestion-boxes. It is a challenge that many find very difficult but one that pays clear dividends not only for OH&S but for business performance in general.
Culture
Without cultural support, the best system will fail to deliver its full potential. This includes specific programs encouraging:
A reporting culture - one that is not afraid to report incidents and situations that threaten the health of workers,
A just culture - one that draws the line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and apportions personal responsibility and blame,
A flexible culture - one that adapts itself rapidly to organisational forms suitable for dealing with immediate hazards and then is capable of reverting back once the hazards have been controlled, and
A learning culture - one that possesses the willingness and the competence to draw the right conclusions from its safety information system, and the will to implement major reforms when their need is indicated.
Importantly, a positive OH&S culture looks beyond the workplace to achieve a proper work-life balance and providing employee assistance programs.
Commitment
Finally, words must become deeds. Not only must management be actively committed to a systematic approach, workplace consultation and culture-building,it must be seen to be committed. This includes "walking the talk", for example,taking part in inspections, participating in fire and emergency drills,discussing health and safety at regular meetings, following up promised corrective activity and modelling appropriate behaviour in the workplace. The OH&S message must be made real in a no-nonsense way by senior management. Line managers, supervisors, employers, contractors and suppliers then pick up and pass on this message.
The four elements of a positive approach - system, consultation, culture and commitment - are integral to developing effective management practices in OH&S.
To further assist managers as champions of OH&S, we have highlighted the following in the book:
The background to the legal and social framework governing OH&S,including recent changes.
How to develop and evaluate a systematic approach using modern management tools.
A simple and effective model of hazard identification and risk management with practical examples drawn from a wide range of industries.
Discussed contemporary issues such as workplace stress and violence.
The key steps to developing a supportive OH&S culture and addressed factors beyond the workplace.
Discussion points, case studies, news stories and examples are used throughout the text. Each chapter concludes with a summary of the main points,suggested questions and activities designed for differing requirements as well as up-to-date reference material. Also available is a website updating users on the issues covered in the text ensuring that material is relevant, contemporary and reliable.
Richard ArcherThe Productive Edge, Annandale, New South Wales, Australia, archlow@bigpond.net.au
