Rank: Forum user 
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Hi, I am having difficulty at work with the general culture of the organization, I am in a health and safety role and have been a part of the organization for 6 months, while there has been some improvement I am started to lose faith... there are so many problems i can't write them all, however, one problem I have is - the director/owner thinks he is safety mad, thinks he is all over it but when we have meetings comments like this arise:
- maximum ass-covering, we need to put up as many safety signs as possible and make staff sign anything and everything.
- I don't care if they don't follow the rules we need to cover our asses
- we need to get contractors in to service our plant equipment that are going to turn a blind eye
- toolbox talks need to have as many rules and info in them so we are ass-covering
This is just some of the comments, there is a total disregard for respect, safety, training, procedures, systems, investment, information, contractor management the list goes on anything i put in place is just ignored. I have tried hard and made some changes however I think I have hit a bit of a dead end, If anyone has been in a similar situation please comment! (obviously a new job might be the solution)
Best REgards
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Welcome to the world of Health and Safety - you are not alone !!!
Although there are obviously exceptions where H&S IS taken seriously (or at least relatively seriously), you'd be amazed at just how many practitioners are in exactly the same position as you are unfortunately (believe me, I've met many of them and even been one at some point in my career).
It's almost a given in many (most ?) organisations that production will take priority over everything else (this is despite almost every policy I've ever seen stating that the safety of the workforce is the number one priority of the business) !
Sometimes it's better to stay put and try to make a difference, other times you'd be mad to even try, and the only option is to move on (and HOPE you find a better company to work for).
Only you can decide which option is best for you unfortunately...
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Rank: Super forum user 
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OK, so he's not perfect and, yes, he sticking a band aid on a broken leg but........ there is an interest which all too often there isn't.
Your job is to educate him and make suggestions but all the while making him think that these are his ideas - he will be amazed at what he can achieve when he puts his mind to it. All the while, you know it is you pulling the strings.
Rome wasn't built in a day - I suggest you upwardly manage.
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Rank: New forum user 
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I would agree with Hilary, from experience part of the safety professionals role is to provide guidance and support to help others including [sometimes particularly] senior management understand their obligations and why they would want to walk the walk, not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but I guess if it were the we wouldnt do what we do, good luck!
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Rank: Super forum user
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Alabaster I think your boss is running scared which is why he is looking at all of this high profile stuff. Safety signage and posters make a limited impact of staff- they soon lose interest but will persuade management that something is being done. At least they care. Similarly the assumption that toolbox talks need to be an opportunity to bore staff into submission. Again that limits the effective impact. But least you have someone that cares; what you are going to need to do is to train him to understand how to do H&S more effectively. So for example the toolbox talks should be worker lead and focus on practical solutions not recitation of rules and regulations. He needs a nudge in the right direction. If he is still pushing back in few months then think about jumping ship!
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Rank: Super forum user 
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I have to admit that your third bullet point about getting contractors in who will turn a blind eye does not appear to me somebody that is interested in H&S at all!!
This stance alone would cause alarm bells to ring for me & whilst I agree that our role should be to assist Directors etc. there are some people that you just can't help.
I had one Director who was only interested in what was happening once a year....just before his annual review when bonuses were at stake!
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Rank: Super forum user
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Hi Alabaster
Having had an employer much the same, years ago in Australia and looking at the range of management deficiencies I'd do as I did myself and get out.
There's only so much bashing your head against a brick wall that anyone can take.
I chose to do a foreign aid [Oz] project in southern Africa-Swaziland, much more rewarding and useful-better than BHP [big and pathetic]
Up to you though, if you think there's a chance of changing his behaviour/actions/mind-doesn't look possible to me.
Best regards
Mike
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Rank: Super forum user
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I had similar problems to overcome.
I put together a short presentation (which can be easily adapted into a training session or report) which highlights the key aspects of H&S. These being:
1) Moral - it is the right thing to do
2) Legal - we have to do it
3) Financial - how it is going to positivly impact on business
I used a venn diagram to overlap these to show how the model changes where you eliminate any one of these and called the session "The Circles of Safety: Why bother with H&S". With each of these you can give real world, industry specific examples of what happened when it was done and what happened when it wasnt done and even more so than that, you can tailor this to different levels in an oragnisation. A Director might focus on top level things, but an employee who has a specific role to play will focus on others.
This really helped build an understanding of H&S in my employment and I fall back on this when trainign staff. It has become a thing, all I need to ask is "How does this match up with the circles of safety?" and staff are already there telling me why we are doing the things that they are being asked to do! Win win!
I hope that helps and maybe gies some food for thought - although I am at a loss about the "Blind eye" comment! That would be negligence in my opinion!
A
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Rank: Forum user
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Thank you all for your excellent advice! When I first started I was amazed at how "for" health and safety he was which was great but as time has gone by his "cowboy" nature has started to show through, I am getting the impression that he really doesn't care and just wants to cover his ass, our workers are pretty poor in terms of skills, safety etc massively high staff turnover, lack of respect to each other and anyone, It isn't just a safety problem I think it's more of a "whole" business problem... I will carry on trying to improve the site/culture for the time being and focus on trying to re-educate, however, I am well aware that some people will never change... :)
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Rank: Super forum user
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The general consensus is that businesses that are rubbish at Health and Safety tend to be rubbish all round. I can’t imagine the sort of employer that routinely takes shorts cuts in terms of Health and Safety is conscientious about anything else. They also tend to recruit staff who of a like mind and only get found out when someone like a H&S person who actuals believes that rules and the like are really relevant turns up and starts to challenge local practices.
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 1 user thanked A Kurdziel for this useful post.
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