The term “safety leadership” describes a leadership style that actively implements the core values of occupational health and safety (OHS). It’s built on two fundamental questions:
- Who takes responsibility for occupational health and safety?
- How can we strategically improve this?
The level of responsibility people take for occupational health and safety depends on your company's safety culture. A common benchmark for evaluating safety culture is the Bradley Curve. Depending on the level your company has reached, the sense of responsibility for occupational health and safety can vary among employees:
- Nobody feels responsible
- Only safety officers feel responsible
- Managers or individual employees feel responsible for themselves
- All employees feel responsible for each other
When a safety culture reaches its most advanced level, everyone becomes a safety leader.
Even though safety leadership doesn’t apply solely to managers, they play a decisive role in developing their company’s safety culture and pushing it to the next level. Along with understanding regulations and liability issues, safety leaders should also develop the following soft skills and incorporate them into their strategic work:
1. communicate
Regular conversations and meetings are crucial for promoting safe behavior in the workplace. Safety leaders should engage with their colleagues regularly. There are several ways to do this – short safety talks and regular safety meetings with small groups, using real accident reports to illustrate potential workplace hazards.
2. lead by example
Talking about putting safety first isn’t enough. Safety leaders must lead by example. Practice what you preach. For instance, if you tell employees they must wear safety boots in certain areas, you must also wear safety boots in those same areas. And, if managers make mistakes, they should take responsibility and be accountable.
3. involve employees in safety initiatives
To inspire everyone’s sense of responsibility, delegate individual tasks to employees. If they’re actively involved in OHS processes—during on-site inspections, training, or contributing to safety decisions—this improves team spirit and raises awareness throughout the workforce.
4. recognize and reward safe behavior
An open failure and feedback culture should be actively embraced. No one should fear reporting unsafe situations or accidents. Reluctance to report issues can hide potential problems, increasing actual accident rates while giving a false impression of safety. Encourage reporting, provide feedback on near misses, and take appropriate action. Recognizing and praising safe behavior further reinforces that the company values safety.
5. cultivate your leadership style
To be taken seriously as a leader, you need a clear and consistent leadership style. Beyond communication, this requires an authentic approach that meets employees’ expectations. For example, if a shift system increases accidents or unsafe situations, admit mistakes and find solutions that satisfy everyone.
6. foster a collaborative safety culture
For a safety-first mindset to take hold, employees must understand the importance of OHS and view it in a positive light. It’s the manager’s responsibility to create a safety culture where all stakeholders collaborate. The goal is for not just leaders, but employees as well, to pay attention to safe behavior and provide feedback. Employees should support one another by addressing unsafe behaviors and giving positive feedback on safety-conscious actions.
It’s up to leaders to motivate employees to behave this way.
7. implement continuous training
Unfortunately, it’s still rare for managers to receive the professional OHS training they need. It’s crucial that they – and all potential safety leaders – receive extensive OHS training over several months and implement safety measures with support from a mentor. This provides them with immediate feedback and helps foster a strong internal motivation for safety leadership.
visions & values
To boost your company's OHS performance, effective safety leadership is fundamental. There’s another benefit, too – you’ll positively impact your Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ratings.
If your company is struggling with OHS performance, AMCS is ready to help with best-in-class innovative software. Contact one of our EHS experts to schedule a short discovery call and determine your next steps.