Posted By Merv Newman A couple of responders to the "union representation" thread have asked "why do you need a consultant" I started to reply, then decided to start a new thread : As a consultant (trust me) I am often welcomed by local S&H people because I bring an "outsiders" point of view and can have more influence on management than the local person. Local people may have started as an ordinary employee, made it to first line and then got "promoted" to H&S. Which means that management will always remember, and regard, you as "one of the workers" That is exactly what happened to me. I had to change sites and countries to get away from that paternalism. Consultants are not "with" the site/company culture. We are total outsiders and will only have a relationship with site personnel for, at the most 2 or 3 years. As consultants we have a duty or obligation to help our clients to build a lasting safety culture at their plant. To do this we bring our knowledge and experience of what has worked elsewhere. And what has not worked elsewhere. Example : I have a site where the main safety inluence is a "traditional" H&S person. Their last safety initiative was to relook at all the programmes that he had put in place over the last 20 years and to see how they could redo them to gain even more advantage. The plant manager (who knew me from his previous site) asked me in. I proposed a two-step programme ; management responsibility training and Behavioural Based Safety. My recommendations were opposed virulently by the H&S person. Fortunately management accepted my ideas and transferred the H&S person elswhere. (which gives more problems at the "elswhere" site) LTI rate is now half of last year's rate. And employees are taking much MUCH more responsibility (backed up by 1st line) for their own safety. So, Why do we need consultants ? Because we bring an idependant point of view. Because we are not blinkered by the "culture". Because we bring experience gained from other sites and from other cultures. Because we are (at least some of us) at the "cutting edge" of H&S. Me, I put it all down to CPD Discuss. Merv

Posted By John McFeely I couldn't agree with you more Merv. One thing that you mentioned was "As a consultant (trust me) I am often welcomed by local S&H people because I bring an "outsiders" point of view and can have more influence on management than the local person." I have been, as you may have guessed by my previous posts, educated in Health and Safety by the Trade Unions Congress. As a consultant I am still amazed by the respect that I get from clients over their own Health and Safety professionals. As a Union Representative I was never taken serious, but as a Health and Safety Consultant I give the same advice and reccommendations, but am treated so differently. Think of the money Companies would save if they simply involved and supported their Union Representatives. By the way how is the tax situation in France? Jackie

Posted By Merv Newman "Pollinate" an apt image. Thankyou for that one. I'll use it often. I too am unsure about the need for qualifications. Mainly, perhaps because I ain't got none. I got bumped from quality manager to "Risk Manager" after an accident. And received no formal training. Just odd bits and pieces on company sponsored subjects. Then got bumped to "European H&S Consultant" (with an experienced colleague to mentor my first job)(Shell Chimie, Berre l'étang)Nostalgie. Agonised for two weeks over the report before setting digits to key board. And I still have a tendancy to do that. Where was I ? Right. "Why do companies need consultants ?" Mainly I think because they have run out of ideas and are frustrated. "What can we do to change things around, get out of the rut ?" And if the answer comes "Dunno. Let's ask Merv" That makes Merv very happy indeed. Merv (himself)

Posted By Jeffrey Watt Why do we need consultants? A cheap way (in the long term) of getting precise expertise without hiring someone full time? An effective way of improving the current safety paradigm by someone who has been there and done that already? Outcome driven resource with predictable timelines linked to payment? Useful to break out of the Monty Python effect (What are we going to do now? What are we going to do now? What are we going to do now? What are we going to do now?) And last but not least. To give the rest of us safety plebs working for less than a bin man’s wage something to aspire to (nothing wrong with bin men just using it as a metaphor for low pay, yet they all drive better cars than me and seem happier…sob). Kind regards Jeff

Posted By garyh I would take issue with one "KPI" you quoted - that this year's injury is half last years. Unjury rates can go up and down quite randomly especially over a short period; the smaller the workforce, the more marked this phenomenon is. You need to look at injury rates "long term".......... Injury rates are also a double edged sword. If you claim responsibility when they decline, then natch you must be responsible when they go up (which they will, they tend to oscillate up and down within a long term overall trend). So I would just urge caution. As Safety ADVISORS we can only take responsibility for our advice, not the outcome, which is a function of management. Overall though it sounds like you have made some positive suggestions which appear to be bearing fruit.

Posted By Merv Newman garyh I agree with you about being wary of injury stats but the plant I was citing has 1500 employees and the rates had been trending upwards for the last few years. I find it fairly rare that rates on a large site start going back up once they have worked on getting them down for a year or two. Does happen after a senior management change. But once they get really into the habit of doing safety the right way then it usually sticks for quite a long time. As for the previous safety person : I have been known to elements of that company for about 15 years but had never been invited to that site. Their new plant manager came from one of my previous sites, tried to use some of my ideas and got frustrated by the "not made here" attitude he was getting and called me in. So effectively I was forced on to them. So they resist. That sort of thing can also happen when "head office" call you in to sort out a plant. 'slife, innit ? Merv