By Mike Winkler, CHST, Safety Advisor, Safety Management Group and
Mark Myers, Safety Advisor, Safety Management Group (and Assistant Chief, Southport Police Department)
“Sharks in the water!”
It’s an odd thing to hear at a construction project in the middle of a rural area, but we know exactly what it means. It’s one example of a code that workers use to warn each other that safety professionals are on the jobsite. Some are a lot more clever, and others are more straightforward, but they all mean the same thing: “Shape up, so you don’t get in trouble.”
The perception that safety professionals are on the jobsite to catch misbehavior is widespread, but it isn’t accurate – at least not among the safety professionals we know. Our role on a jobsite isn’t to sneak up and catch misbehavior, but to protect the craftspeople so they can go home safely at the end of each day.
A safety professional who observes a violation is like a police officer who notices a driver taking an unsafe action. In both cases, the goal is to protect the individual and those around him from the consequences of his actions. In both cases, the individual is likely to be embarrassed or even angry at having that behavior called into question. And, in both cases, the goal is to correct the situation rather than create a confrontation.
For example, if you observe someone on the top step of a ladder, you can yell, “Hey, I’m going to write you up for that!” Or you can say, “Hey, I think you might need a taller ladder for this job.” With both approaches, they know they’ve been caught – but with the latter approach, they’ll realize that your goal isn’t to harass them, but to offer a suggestion that will protect them and keep them from getting written up in the future.
Often, a little creativity goes a long way. On one site where seat belt use is mandated, we did a seat belt audit in an unusual way. As vehicles passed, drivers who were wearing seatbelts were handed a bag of Life Savers candy, and those who weren’t received a DumDum lollipop. We didn’t explain why until a safety meeting later that day. As they looked around the room and saw co-workers sucking on their DumDums, everyone started to laugh and tease them. We were able to make a point without creating an adversarial relationship.
For another company with a policy requiring gloves 100 percent of the time, a safety professional might carry a couple pairs of brand-new gloves with him at all times. If he sees someone violating the policy, he can walk up and ask, “Did you forget your gloves?” and hand over a new pair. It solves the problem and reminds the worker without anyone getting angry or defensive.
The overall key is very simple: treat people the way you would want to be treated. When you criticize people, you’re projecting the attitude that you are better than they are, and that they are on the site to work for you. But neither of those things is true.
Trust is critical, but it can only be built up over time. Every contact with a worker either builds up or detracts from that sense of trust, as does every conversation about safety. By presenting safety issues in a positive manner and providing explanations for rules, you build that trust. By coaching rather than coercing, you strengthen collaboration. By taking time to get to know them on a personal level, and sitting down with them on their breaks, they’re less likely to see you as a threat.
Of course, there are situations involving imminent danger to life and health. That’s when we have to jump in and demand that whoever is doing something wrong cease and desist immediately. But even in those situations, once the emergency has ended, we can sit down with everyone and explain to them why the situation was so serious that we had to act that way. If we’ve already established a good rapport, they’ll understand.
There are some safety professionals who think the only way to increase compliance is using fear, but our experience is that a cooperative approach not only works – it’s actually far more effective and longer-lasting. On sites where safety issues were cropping up on a daily basis, the number of violations drops dramatically. In some cases, that sense of trust becomes so strong that the workers start calling attention to safety issues or asking the safety professional for his opinion about the right practices for a particular task.
When you see a police car with the slogan “to protect and serve,” you’re also seeing the mission of safety professionals who really understand their role on the jobsite. We work to protect the craftspeople on the site, and we serve their needs for safety and well-being. And like police officers, sometimes we have to step up and put an end to a dangerous situation, but even then, we’re doing it to protect and serve the people we work with.