Part of the challenge with health and safety is getting everyone on board with its implementation and the development of good health and safety practices. To do this requires good leadership at various different levels of the organisation. Here we will give you a brief introduction to safety leadership and how developing it can move your business towards a safer and more profitable future.

Who is the safety leader within your organisation?

Defining the safety leader within your organisation can be a worthwhile or futile endeavour. In pure health and safety terms, it will be the individual designated as the key responsible person in the health and safety policy of the business. However, putting sole responsibility for the safety leadership on one person can have negative consequences both for the person and the organisation. Under the principles outlined by OSHA, anyone within an organisation can be a safety leader, it is not dependent on them being in a management position. The leader may need to undergo safety training and have to prepare to handle hazardous situations in a workplace. A person interested in such a job profile can look for an Online Safety Training program created to cater to a specific industry so that employees can stay safe and accomplish their tasks without risking injury or physical harm. In addition, it could be the safety leader’s duty to impart the knowledge related to workplace safety to all the other employees and train them accordingly

What is the key principle of safety leadership?

Safety leadership is defined as the process and practices that leaders use within an organisation to work towards particular health and safety goals. Many when discussing safety leadership mistakenly use the terms leader and manager interchangeably. Safety management focuses on someone in the structural hierarchy of an organisation who can influence employees through their job role. Safety leadership is a voluntary activity that, as previously stated, can be undertaken by anyone within a business.

How do I improve the safety leadership in my organisation?

Developing good health and safety leadership is no easy task, it takes time and the development of good behaviours and practices within the leaders of your organisation. When it comes to training your leadership team on health and safety, sites like https://www.icwgroup.com/pc/safety/safety-training-webinars/ are a great place to find resources such as online safety training videos. Some key points to keep in mind include the following:

• Ensure everyone has a basic level of health and safety training
• Create and monitor particular goals for health and safety objectives
• Involve all necessary employees in the planning and decision stage of projects
• Encourage the development of safe work practices beyond a procedure that must be followed so employees act on their own accord

Connecting and discussing relevant topics with other health and safety leaders is one of the key ways organisations’ are trying to improve health and safety management. Doing so will help you stay up to date with the latest information in the field of HSE and improve the safety of your workplace.