• If you have not done so, write down your organization’s
current standards. Even if it is a very short list or even a
blank page, it is a starting point.
Then create a vision statement setting some goals:
• What are your top five goals?
• How will you achieve those goals?
• What are your top five bad behaviors you want to
modify?
• How will you modify those behaviors?
• What are the penalties for continued bad behavior?
• What is the reward for those who exceed expectations?
• How will you start the program?
• How will you manage it?
• When will you roll out the program?
• Set deadlines and stick to them. Hold yourself account-
able for achieving the goals in the time stated in the vi-
sion’s timeline.
5. Ongoing Corrections and Enhancements to the
Safety and Health Program
• Ongoing participation by leadership, management
and staff is key to the ongoing vitality of your safety pro-
gram. If the rank and file see that leadership has lost in-
terest, so will they.
• Address physical hazards and develop safety recogni-
tion programs, create safety committees, and start incen-
tive programs.
• Develop policies for recognition, rewards, incentives,
and ceremonies. Again, reward employees for doing the
right things and encourage participation in activities.
Continually reevaluate the incentive program to ensure
its effectiveness and to ensure that it does not become an
entitlement program. Monitor non-reporting of incidents
to achieve goals and quotas to receive rewards and in-
centives.
• Accountability systems are useful when appropriate.
These systems establish safety goals, measure safety ac-
tivities, and charge costs back to the business units that
incur them. Consider developing a System of Account-
ability for all levels of the organization. Everyone must
play by the same rules and be held accountable for their
areas of responsibility. A sign of a strong safety culture is
when individuals hold themselves accountable.
es’ are all part of the paper trail that one day can keep
you, your company and its leadership out of court.
• Your safety and health policy is dynamic and alive, once
created will require exercise and nourishment.
• It is easy to become complacent and let your program
go dormant. Be alert for slippage. Continued delaying
or canceling of team safety meetings, or increases in in-
cident rates are signs of a dormant safety culture in need
of immediate revitalization.
• Ongoing improvements to the policy is part of the evo-
lutionary process. Be sure to record all changes to the
program for later use.
6. Training and Information Sharing
• Continually measure performance, communicate re-
sults, and celebrate successes. Publicizing results to the
team is very important to sustaining efforts and keeping
everyone motivated. Progress reports during normal shift
meetings allowing time for comments back to the safe-
ty committee and promotes open communication, and
also allows for input from those out on the front lines.
Everyone needs to have a voice, otherwise, they will be
reluctant to continue buy-in. A system can be as simple as
using current meetings, a bulletin board, and a comment
box. (USDOL, 1970)
• In our industry, hazard identification and mitigation
is a continuous process, minute-to-minute, even sec-
ond-to-second, hazards can appear, then remain static
or escalate, or disappear altogether. Hazards that have
been mitigated can reappear, like playing a high-stakes
game of ‘Whack-a-Mole®’. • As stated far above, employee and staff training is re-
quired by law. Proper onboarding and continuing train-
ing is essential for a healthy safety culture. The company
will benefit from less time being wasted mitigating avoid-
able mistakes on-the-job at the company’s expense.
• Monitoring and mitigating hazards is only part of the
process. Reporting hazards and their mitigation, report-
able injury and damage incidents, as well as ‘near miss- • On a ship, every crew member is trained to fight fires on-
board. Similarly, every event employee must be trained
to create and maintain a safe site.
33