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#1 Posted : 05 November 2000 16:47:00(UTC)
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Posted By David I have been asked to report to my Director on how safety culture can be improved. However I consider the Director to be a large part of the problem. Although great emphasis is placed on safety the company management style is very directive and significant issues around funding and resources are not addressed. Safety Culture is seen very much as a problem for individual departments Can anyone recommend any reference material which highlights the crucial role of company directors to help me prepare this report in the most diplomatic way possible?!
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#2 Posted : 05 November 2000 18:30:00(UTC)
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Posted By clive bradburn David Use the HSC/DETR "Revitalising Health and Safety" document particularly with the emphasis on imminent "corporate killing" legislation and the need to have a Director at Board level responsible for health and safety. I have and it has had an immediate impact.I have been invited to make a presentation at the Executive board meeting and additional time has been found for me to do it. Previously health and safety was considered to be just another corporate service.With the Board's blessing I will now be far better placed to improve the safety culture amongst the workforce. Best of luck clive
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#3 Posted : 06 November 2000 11:27:00(UTC)
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Posted By Ian Waldram As IOSH President, I presented a paper at the Butterworths Tolley Conference on October 18th titled "Helping Leaders to Lead", which was primarily about the importance of leadership behaviours - not just from Directors, but certainly including them. I've e-mailed a copy to you, feel free to use it, but please acknowledge IOSH as the source. I'd also be happy to have your comments on it. There is a Powerpoint presentation that is less comprehensive than the paper.
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#4 Posted : 06 November 2000 12:48:00(UTC)
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Posted By Beverley Russell Clive, HSG(65) is a good source of reference.
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#5 Posted : 06 November 2000 20:35:00(UTC)
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Posted By Bruce Sutherland Proper reply this time not just chasing a freebie set of slides - perhaps the issue is the relationship with the senior management and telling them things they they probably do not want to hear! Several of the people who have replied to you are ex HSE / consultants and in that role would be more than happy to tell a senior memeber of staff exactly what the score was - it is however much more difficult when it is your boss / bosses boss etc. The main thing is that you need to balance the legal / cost / and moral arguements - the costs of accidents/secret syphon / HSG65 approach is useful and shows that we are not afraid to talk numbers - the law is the law, and has some effect but most organisations break quite a lot of legislation most of the time and get away with it - corporate killing may help - the moral line can be quite effective - inquests are not fun! I feel that the answer does not lie with a single approach, but by careful selection of appropriate tool. We can only guess what the state of your organisation is.. you will obviously know and hopefully choose appropriately! I would aim to try to put across the risks to the company and the individuals involved so that at least they have been warned! Please phone if you wish to discuss cheers Bruce 01364 644583
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#6 Posted : 07 November 2000 08:10:00(UTC)
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Posted By Steve Conway The RoSPA initiative Director Action on Safety and Health (DASH) is worth a look at www.rospa.co.uk/occdash.htm. Articles on this have also appeared in the ROSPA journal. Ian I would appreciate a copy of your paper. My e-mail is Steven.Conway@Advanticatech.com. Thanks Steve
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#7 Posted : 07 November 2000 13:06:00(UTC)
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Posted By Terry Smith Your predicament is not uncommon. You may wish to grab attention by focusing on the cost of incidents, both direct and indirect. The HSE booklet "The costs of Accidents at Work" provides useful statistics and graphics. Use HSE to educate the management team on the "Four C's" and the need for managers to lead by example. Prepare some ideas for key managers to adopt to set good examples. In not knowing the details of your organisation it's difficult to be specific. Hope my thoughts prove useful. Could you please send me a copy of Ian Waldram's paper and the Powerpoint presntation. Many thanks - Terry Smith
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#8 Posted : 08 November 2000 13:36:00(UTC)
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Posted By Phil Roberts Ian I have put together a powerpoint presentation, using Croner's Health and Safety Training Resurce, for first line managers and supervisors two years ago. My problem is getting directors to agree to release manages to attend despite having the backing of our insurance assessors report six months ago. I would be grateful for a copy of your prentations to see if I can persuade them with that e-mail address is :- healthandsafety@chronicle.u-net.com Thanks Phil Roberts
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#9 Posted : 10 November 2000 12:30:00(UTC)
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Posted By Ian Waldram I need your e-mail address Bill. For others who would like a copy, I suggest you contact me directly "ian@shequality.fsnet.co.uk", as very little of this thread is helping David further with his original request!
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#10 Posted : 12 November 2000 19:08:00(UTC)
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Posted By David Brede As a management professional as well as H&S (got a MBA to prove it)the problem is usually in the culture of the organisation itself. Yes the Director is an issue but he is probably just a part of a wider problem that would exist whether he was there or not. Your problem is that to move such an organisation is not what can be done single handed. You need to be able to analyse the various strands of the organisation that make it what it is to day. The management gurus Johnson & Scholes call it the cultural web. Having done that you need to gain allies in your organisation to back your case. These may be engineers or other professionals that understand that something must be done. If think this is not easy, it isn't but as a professional you should want to advance your case and some of the other respondents have some sound tactical advice. However the difference is if you want to achieve a sea change as opposed to being a flavour of a month. Cheers David
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