I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season. Like many of you, I probably ate and drank too much and watched too many holiday movies with my wife and family. One movie we watched for the umpteenth time was the old classic It’s a Wonderful Life, in black and white, no less. I am sure many of you have seen this movie about a frustrated businessman, a banker named George Bailey. The movie portrayed what the world would have been like if he had never lived in Bedford Falls. It made me think about the safety profession and all of the safety professionals I know who work for the many companies this magazine reaches. Before I go on, let me define what I mean by a safety professional. Safety professionals are all the safety managers, directors, instructors, consultants and others whose job it is to promote safety and ensure that workers and the public are protected from injury. One could also add firemen, police and many others to my definition.

Safety professionals do not have to be certified, nor do they need to have a lot of initials after their names. These are the men and women in your companies who strive to ensure that the workforce goes home safely to their families and friends at the end of every shift. Without seeking recognition or awards for doing this difficult and sometimes frustrating job, they are committed to preventing accidents.

Understanding the role of the safety professional is important for everyone because safety, on and off the job, concerns us all. This article is dedicated to all safety professionals. For the safety professional reading this article, ask yourself: What would the world be like without you or if you had chosen a different career? How many lives have you saved? How many injuries prevented? How many families continue to thrive because their loved ones are still alive and healthy? I know you cannot tell me, because in our profession, we can only count accidents, not the ones we have prevented.

Safety Management

Safety management is not just a job — it’s an honorable profession. Those working in this field often don’t get the recognition they deserve, even though they are not looking for it. What they are looking for is the support of the management team and employees they are trying so diligently to protect. All they really want is for managers and workers to think about the safe way to perform any task and to implement proper safety procedures. It is about cooperation.

These professionals are often looked upon as the guy or gal who keeps visiting the jobsite for an inspection and bugging the manager and foremen to make sure workers follow the safety rules and procedures. Sometimes they mention OSHA regulations, but trust me, they know it is not about compliance. It is about the safe way to accomplish the job. OSHA regulations are just one tool in their toolbox.

First and foremost, safety professionals help the company create and implement safety programs for the benefit of their co-workers and company employees. They review and modify safety policies, procedures and rules to make them better. They also search for information and training resources that can be used by the management team to train and educate workers about safety. Many in-house safety professionals are also safety instructors. They spend some of their time teaching managers and workers about safety so they know and understand the hazards and precautions to prevent injury.

Outside safety consultants and instructors work diligently with companies to help the management team and in-house safety department. They constantly seek the latest safety technologies, look for new methods to improve safety and training techniques and try to help the management team improve its safety activities. Even though they are not employed by the company, they are still personally concerned about the employees of the companies with which they work. They, too, should be commended for their efforts to ensure that workers go home safely.

Help the Safety Professionals

To be effective, safety professionals need the help and cooperation of the management team, from the CEO to the foreman and supervisor. Managers need to understand that compliance with OSHA, EPA, DOT or jobsite inspections are not ends in themselves. These activities are used to assist with work force protection. The managers — not the safety professionals — are responsible for safety and should be held accountable for it.

Safety professionals need financial support and the resources necessary to accomplish the company’s objectives. They should be provided with the opportunity to belong to professional safety organizations, such as the American Society of Safety Engineers and the National Safety Council. There, they have the opportunity to network with their peers and obtain up-to-date information, as well as continuing education and training.

The CEO should communicate the goals and objectives of the safety program — and put it in writing. Senior managers should support the safety professional’s efforts and demonstrate safety leadership to ensure that employees know and understand the reasons for the safety and health program. Managers at all levels should be assigned responsibility for safety and held accountable for the departments, divisions, jobsites and operations they manage. They must also be actively involved in all the workplace safety initiatives, such as attending safety meetings. Finally, they must set a good example by knowing and following the safety policies, procedures and rules that employees are expected to follow.
Above all, the safety professional should have the authority to stop, without question, any work that involves a serious safety breach. Without that authority, his or her hands are effectively tied when a field manager refuses to cooperate, placing the crew at risk in the name of production.

Shortage of Safety Professionals

Safety and health professionals are and will continue to be in demand. Experienced and knowledgeable safety professionals are hard to find. Yes, anyone can be assigned the position, but just like a good project manager, he or she must possess the necessary knowledge and qualifications to accomplish the task.

To respond to a growing concern about the availability of occupational safety and health professionals in the United States, NIOSH commissioned a National Survey of the Occupational Safety and Health Workforce, released in October 2011.

This assessment found that, based on current trends, future national demand for occupational safety and health services will significantly outstrip the number of professionals with the training, education and experience to provide such services.

As I have said before in other articles: Don’t let go of good safety professionals. They are hard to replace.

Conclusion

The next time you see the safety professional at your company, remember that he or she is there to help accomplish a very important task to prevent injuries to workers and damage to the environment and property. Give them a chance to do their job by cooperating and working with them to make your workplace safe and healthy.

Think of George Bailey and It’s a Wonderful Life when you think of your company’s safety professional. Ask yourself what the average workplace would be like if safety professionals did not exist. Think of all the families who would be without a loved one, how many children would be without a father or mother or even how your family would be without you. Safety professionals are content when you and your co-workers go home uninjured each day, but you would probably make their day by thanking them.

George Kennedy is NUCA Vice President of Safety.