Words of Wisdom
With so many valuable pieces of advice given throughout our chat with Rob, these words of wisdom truly resonated with many: educate leadership on the value of safety. C-suite members often don’t fully understand safety and the benefits it may have to the organization. It’s your job to teach them the merits of safety and what would happen if nothing was done.
Build trust and present the value of safety to your leadership team with examples of what you’ve implemented and how it’s improved productivity and efficiency. Don’t forget to mention that having a strong safety record and a great reputation as a safe place to work can have a positive impact on business. This can help change the perception of safety being seen as a large cost, rather than an investment and a means of cost savings.
To get leadership commitment, the value of safety must have concrete results.
Position it as an equation; I need $X amount included in my budget, and this is how the money will help us:
Budget ask – average injury cost – loss of productivity – average cost to replace an employee = $XXXX saved
Finally, once leadership is onboard, it’s vital that their commitment is visible to all teams. Interaction with employees is key, so encourage them to participate in leadership walks, speak to employees, and dive into all key metrics. This will help demonstrate to others that the C-suite is truly invested in health and safety, which will trickle down to all parts of the organization.