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OHS-WHS
Health & Safety shouldn’t longer be
seen as an overhead for the business
At the upcoming Safety in
Action Conference in
Melbourne, Wayne Richards,
General Manager Group HSEQ
at Transdev, will present a case
study on how Transdev has
reassessed their safety structure
and will outline the steps that
they plan to take to improve
their safety culture going into
the future, within their new
safety program: Safe@
Transdev – Everyone, Always.
Why do you think it is so important for organisations
to keep improving their safety strategy?
The world doesn’t stand still. For a strategy to remain
relevant, it needs to be able to adapt to the needs of the
organisation, which are influenced by changes in the
external environment. If a strategy doesn’t adapt, it
becomes irrelevant to the business – and in many cases
that has obvious impacts. It takes everybody in an
organisation to move in a similar direction to get positive
Health & Safety outcomes. The strategy needs to be able
to adapt, both to the internal and external challenges that
exist.
What do you think is most concerning about cultural
change within businesses, looking into the future?
where the organisation is at on its cultural journey, how
the capability of the safety professional is matched to
that journey and where it wants to go. And then, it really
depends on the roles they take up within the
organisation. There are various business models and you
need to take that in account when assessing your
organisations’ safety structure.
Could you give us some key highlights that you will
discuss at the upcoming Safety in Action Conference
in Melbourne?
I’m really keen to share some of the experiences I’ve
had over my career working towards changing that
perception. Health and Safety done well increases
employee engagement, helps attract and retain good
people, and builds brand awareness– and of course
facilitates great safety outcomes which means people
are staying safe.
Safety in Action Show & Conferences
5-6 September 2017, Melbourne Convention
& Exhibition Centre.
Safety in Action Melbourne Conferences
If I had to name one concern about it, it’s that
organisations might not recognise the need for a
consistent focus on developing the culture of their
businesses over time – it requires sustained leadership
commitment indefinitely. In many ways this can be seen
as an opportunity, but organisations need to be incredibly
careful – especially if you have an immature safety culture
and you want to transition to a very generative or pro-
active safety culture straight away. It’s not just about the
safety program, but it’s actually about the organisational
program, driving an organisational culture. Organisations
need to be clear on what an appropriate culture is for
themselves as well as the market in which they operate. On 5-6 September, Safety in Action presents three
high-profile conferences focusing on Safety
Strategy, Leadership and Culture, Workplace
Wellness and Return to Work. With over 350
delegates and 70+ speakers and the conferences
running in adjacent rooms, you will be able to
switch sessions and plan a track to suit your
requirements. Find out more on
www.safetyinaction.net.au
What would be most important in reassessing your
organisations’ safety structure? The Safety in Action Tradeshow
– Free registration available now
Healthy tension. Culture in organisations is really about
the leaders of the organisation. As we move, we take
leaders on a cultural journey. The systems and support
structures need to be paced, so that they support the
desired behaviour, rather than re-affirming the previous
behaviour or non-desired behaviour. When assessing the
safety structure in itself, it’s really important to know,
GOVLINK » ISSUE 2 2017
Held concurrently with the Conferences, will be
Australia’s leading Occupational Health and Safety in
Action Tradeshow. A must-attend for OHS Professionals.
Attendance is free for bona fide trade visitors and
available on www.safetyinaction.net.au.