SAFETY IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY! Really?

This is a well-intentioned safety slogan. Full stop.

It is just not that simple.

Every business has a number one priority - profitability. If you think I misspoke, ask any business owner or shareholder their opinion. I do not wish to infer that business owners and shareholders are not concerned about worker safety. I do mean to suggest that all businesses must navigate the need to operate within a budget and balance a plethora of other legitimate concerns including profitability, production, quality, supply chain, sales, customer satisfaction, training, community involvement, environment, employee relations, and safety. Without profitability and proper stewardship, all other considerations fall out of balance and suffer accordingly. Reminders and reinforcement of safety requirements is a regular task.

Safety cannot realistically be the number one priority. If it were, the employer would strap all new hires to a chair with bubble wrap during the onboarding process to prevent all potential injuries and errors. Obviously, this is an absurd proposition! All workplaces have elements of risk that cannot be eliminated. The goal is to control the risks and make the risks tolerable or acceptable. If businesses only performed tasks without risk, they would file for bankruptcy in short order.

Another issue with this slogan is the implication that safety is a separate function. Safety must be integrated into all facets of operations. That is, the employer hires workers to perform tasks safely and properly (quality). That IS the job! Safety is NOT a separate function in the workplace - there is only doing the job safely!

“Tomorrow: your reward for working safely today.” – Robert Pelton

If a worker places value in the simple message "Safety is our No.1 Priority", what might the thought process be if that worker suffered a workplace injury? Are they meeting company expectation? Are they making management look bad? Maybe reporting the injury is not the best idea for job security? Will the worker be a pariah for non-conformance? How do we support and empower that worker to report the injury and remain a valued employee? The answers to these questions and more should be available in your company health & safety management system documentation and training programs. If a company's health & safety management system is something valued by all employees, from the top executive to the entry level worker, and all other employees, supervisor, and managers in between, the company's culture will establish, self-monitor, and perpetuate quality work performed safely.

Perhaps a more appropriate slogan:

"Our number one priority is supplying our workforce with appropriate supports to create quality products and services SAFELY." - Bob McLean

Does your employer promote the idea that Safety is the number 1 priority? Do you believe it to be true?

Do managers and/or supervisors give mixed messages about employer priorities?

#safety #safetyculture