The True Goal of an Effective Safety Program

As safety performance and culture continue to evolve for industry, many companies believe that reducing injuries should be the single goal of a safety program. While it's a good step, it should not be the end goal.

Safety, and its perceived value, have evolved significantly, and continue to do so. The late 1800s brought the first skyscrapers, and it is widely known that these construction projects brought many related deaths. Firms would estimate the number of likely fatalities based on the number of floors constructed. Fatalities were a part of doing business.

In 1908, 15-year-old Harry McShane's arm was amputated and his leg broken after being pulled into a machine at a factory he was employed at for more than two years in Cincinnati. According to his father, his son's employer never visited the young man while he was at the hospital or later in his home while he recovered. Injuries to children working in factories were a part of doing business.

Leading a New Way of Thinking

Then in 1987, newly appointed CEO of the global aluminum giant Alcoa confused the audience at a gathering of Wall Street investors and stock analysts when he took the stage and began his address, "I want to talk to you about worker safety. Every year, numerous Alcoa workers are injured so badly that they miss a day of work. I intend to make Alcoa the safest company in America. I intend to go for zero injuries." To Paul O'Neil, safety was an indicator of company capability. To the obviously stunned looks from the attendees he affirmed, "I'm not certain you heard me. If you want to understand how Alcoa is doing, you need to look at our workplace safety figures." Within a year of this proclamation, Alcoa's profits hit a record high. Being great in safety is great for business.

Today, in many of the best-performing companies, O'Neil's observed correlation rings true. At industry conferences, CEOs are more frequently heard delivering similar messages. At a recent oil and gas conference, one such leader shared this perspective: "If you are not good at safety, what else are you not you good at?" While these are all great perspectives for a top leader to have, as it sends a message of priority and value throughout the organization, it can also send the wrong message...

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Shawn M. Galloway is the President and COO of ProAct Safety. He writes (and tweets:@safetyculture) about his consulting work leading organizations across all major industries to achieve and sustain excellence in their performance and culture. His articles, books, blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here: https://proactsafety.com/insights

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