In an article I wrote for SafetyXChange a few months ago on "near miss" opportunities in the manufacturing work environment, I mentioned that a "safety attitude" throughout a company is the key to a safe and healthy work environment. Of course, that's easy to say. The hard part is to actually cultivate such a safety attitude. Here's my humble opinion on how to achieve this momentous task.

The Challenge of Gaining Buy In

The biggest challenge for many safety managers is establishing and maintaining a safety conscious work environment. That's a tall order and a full-time job. Sure, you might think and eat safety every day; but that's not enough to get other people in the company to do the same.

By definition, a safety culture has to be experienced company-wide. The commitment must exist at all levels, including workers, supervisors and managers. Of course, buy-in at the upper levels is of critical importance. After all, if the rest of the management team's agenda conflicts with this goal -  such as an agenda that stresses maximizing production and output without regard for employees' safety and welfare  - then there's no way the culture will be created.

The Role of Upper Management

You must have full support and buy-in from the top of the organization where the marching orders are initiated. Your task is to harness upper management's muscle behind your culture building efforts. That involves securing management help to:

• Promote safety to the Big 3: Safety must be recognized and included with the same importance as the "big three" -  Quality, Delivery and Productivity. Safety can't be the odd man out. It can't be taken into consideration only when problems arise, or else problems will arise.
• Make safety everyone's job: Every job description in the organization should include safety-related responsibilities and every employee should be held accountable for fulfilling these responsibilities.
• Establish safety goals: Quarterly and annual goals are set for the "big three." The same should apply for safety metrics. Establish the goals, monitor them, display them and celebrate accomplishments along the way. Accordingly, the company's success should be measured in part on the achievement of safety goals and the responsibility must be everyone's in order to achieve the goals for that success.
• Make safety a corporate mission: That corporate mission statement that you see hanging in a company's reception area and board room generally includes a nice statement about satisfying the customer by providing a quality product. That's all well and good. But if there isn't also a reference to the company's commitment to maintain a safe and healthy work environment, then odds are you're looking at a company that doesn't have a true safety culture.

Conclusion

Once you have gained the corner office's commitment to a safety culture, everything just takes care of itself and health and safety nirvana is achieved. Right? Wrong. Sorry, but this is just the beginning of the challenge. The really tough task lies ahead. That task is to get everyone in the company to follow the directive in that corporate mission statement. Now you must create a work environment where people actually do think and act safely on the job. And a big part of the burden to champion this effort and keep it going falls squarely on the shoulders of you, the company safety director. Next week, I'll give you some advice to help you shoulder that burden.

ATTITUDE AND COMMITMENT
Ten Quotes

By Catherine Jones

1. The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.
Ferdinand Foch, French soldier, military theorist and writer

2. The probability that we may fail in struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

3. The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.
Vincent Lombardi, NFL Coach

4. There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either in or out. There's no such thing as a life in-between.
Pat Riley, NBA Coach

5. To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.
Elbert Hubbard, American philosopher and writer

6. Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working twenty-four hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force.
Tom Blandi, French literary theorist and author

7. Go forward confidently, energetically attacking problems, expecting favorable outcomes.
Norman Vincent Peale, Preacher and author

8. A healthy attitude is contagious but don't wait to catch it from others.
Anonymous

9. A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.
Harry Truman, 33rd President of the United States

10. A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
Herm Albright, Painter and lithographer

MEMBER REPLY
Re: Woodrow Slone's Article

I am 45 sitting in front of my computer at my desk as a safety manager with a tear in my eye. This is one of the best articles that reminds me why we do what we do. I remember my father as being a master mason in the Midwest. That is one of the most physically demanding jobs and can be one of the most dangerous occupations (depending where you have to work) that I have experienced and remembered. I, like your author, used my father as an inspiration to do what I do. I remember my father coming home from one job where my mom every night would have to wrap my fathers hands in rags soaked in peroxide to help clean and heal his calloused cut hands from sharp stones and lime dust. My father used to use me as a "grunt" doing work for him. Nothing like climbing 10 stories of scaffolding with brick tongs to give you a reality check. Until my father passed away my favorite line that used to bring a subtle smile to my dads face was that "you were the best convincer to go to college!!!!!!" I respected the hard work but I also respected the dangers that come from the job and getting the job done. With that said this experience (along with a great mentor) steered me into the arena of safety. Thanks again for the article, the trip down memory lane, and the subtle smile tear brought to my face with remembering my father.

Robert M. Hafner

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