Remember those old signs that companies always used to have up on production floors showing the number of days since the last industrial accident?
Why were those important?
Actually, they still are important, and people still use them for some very important reasons related to workplace safety, liability and risk management. That’s something many of us understand from an intuitive standpoint, but ask somebody with responsibility at a particular job, and you’ll see how integral this idea is to work.
In fact, savvy managers and supervisors often read these numbers in much the same way that a seasoned trader would read a stock ticker. They’re immensely concerned with the number of accidents in a given year, the general frequency of accidents and injuries, and other related metrics. Having the right approach to safety is crucial: and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA is there to enforce certain safety principles on a general level. But there’s no substitute for a good internal safety culture, and that starts with learning and professional education at the very top.
Sector Safety
Of course, workplace safety is different for every kind of business. A transportation business manager is going to view safety in a different way than one who is managing a manufacturing process. Then there are all of the service sector businesses that have their own risks and liabilities. In addition, you have businesses with sophisticated workflow models, such as clean rooms for pharmaceutical companies and other proprietary systems that have to be managed for adequate safety every single day and every hour of their use. It’s not a small job, which is another thing you will learn if you shadow one of these professionals around for a day. It’s really central to good management and planning.
Resources for Supervisors
At the Institute of Business Publications, we maintain a clearinghouse of information for business leaders including legal and safety articles and guidelines. Our knowledge center provides managers and executives with a way to easily centralize their safety learning and expand their knowledge of things like employment law and safety standards.
Use IOBP resources and assistance to help leaders hone their skills in protecting workers and business assets, and managing the company’s bottom line. We make it easier to instill that safety culture that will have a positive effect on your business and your workflows for the future. Take a look online and see what resources we have available, through our partnerships with authoritative sources on what it takes to make HR and business work.