Hi all,

I have to make a presentation on potential solutions and challenges in delivering efficient health and safety systems and how you would establish a H&S culture in a company.


My approach normally on how to improve culture in a company, is that you call a meeting, get the directors there and explain that they have to be involved with the subject and be active and highlight the importance of H&S in general and then present them with serious cases where things have gone wrong to get their attention. At least this is what I done to where I am now.

I am doing research for the topic I was given although if any of you with more experience could suggest anything you re welcome.

Thanks a lot

I would spend a bit of time on the ground with people- ask them what is "dodgy" about what they do etc. Its amazing what people will reveal when they feel you are genuinely interested and not there to tell them what to do. You need to engage with people. I would also try and get some people to get more involved in some way, such as accident investigation, first aid etc. It helps to stop health and safety looking like an entity and start to make it into a value or belief.

Hope this helps:

Audit
Conduct an audit so you know where you are against where you want to go.
Try and stress some good points when you talk to senior bods - not just negatives.

Plan
Put together a sensible plan.

Previous comments are of course correct - you have a culture you just need to improve.

Do an internet search for Safety Maturity Models - these are often simple to understand diagrams that help you plan your main goals over a period (often years rather than weeks or months).

How are they going to spend time on the ground talking to people, I have never been to a company for an interview where they let you in a couple of days earlier to hold a survey, or are you suggesting he hangs around the gates and surveys them as they come out.

look at what the company does and then talk about things that you have put in place that have improved safety within your in your other jobs, also don't be afraid to ask them, check if they have had any improvement notices etc against them if they don't come up say that you have checked and it seems that they seem to take safety seriously and if they do come up tell them that you know about thier history and ways you would enhance the work they are already doing to improve safety.

and I still wouldn't start with 'hold a meeting'

OP asked for suggestions- and what I wrote is something I would use in presentations- and just pretty it up to suit the target audience. I have always made clear in interviews and presentations I cannot do what I do from a distance- to me that is not health and safety. As the saying goes "be the change you want to see in the world". I may not have worked in the industry long, but I have seem workforces come on in leaps and bounds making radical improvements. Management systems look lovely on paper, not so useful if anyone below senior management has no clue what is going on, and also senior management may not even be aware it's not working.

I would look at their H&S committee, if they don't have one - bingo - a great place to start involving a cross section of the business in H&S matters. This has worked well for me in the past, including training the committee members to carry out risk assessments etc. the culture improved dramatically.