The Executive's Role In Creating A Safe Workplace

Ed Foulke’s article “The Executive’s Role In Creating A Safe Workplace” was featured in Safety Outlook on October 15, 2014.

Most CEO’s and company presidents believe that their companies have a good safety program. Their belief comes from the fact that their company has a Safety Department and, in some cases, multiple safety personnel; it has binders and binders of safety policies and procedures; they conduct employee safety training (at least at the start of their employment with the company), and; they point to the fact that the company’s injury and illness rate, DART rates and workers’ comp mod rates continue to decrease year in and year out. While all these things are needed to have a good safety program, they are not indicative that, in fact, a company’s safety program is even satisfactory. Most companies, including many of the Fortune 100 companies, fail to have the essential, basic element necessary to achieve great or world-class safety – namely, personal management commitment at the senior level.

In the article, Ed examines the four elements needed to have an effective safety and health management system.

1. Strong management commitment
2. All-employee involvement/engagement
3. Work site analysis, including hazard identification, prevention and control;
4. Training of employees, supervisors and managers.

To read the full article, please visit Safety Outlook.