Portrait of an Effective Safety Leader

You know it when you see it. But it isn’t always easy to articulate clearly, especially to those who don’t understand it to start with. What does effective safety leadership really look like? Here is a start:

I know that safety is good for our business; for quality, productivity, culture, and profit. My most important priority within safety is the prevention of serious injuries and fatalities. To achieve safety excellence I must assure that I and the leaders around me are excellent safety leaders, extending to the shop floor through every level. I recognize my role in creating the culture we have, including the good and the bad. I understand how safety systems work, what the core mechanisms of safety improvement are, and what an improving safety organization looks like. I know that safe behavior is important, more at the leadership level than anyplace else. I don’t fall into the trap of thinking safety improvement is about fixing the worker. I know that safe decision making is crucial to the prevention of incidents, especially serious and fatal ones. I act consistently in accordance with these principles. I can articulate them in my own words in a compelling way.