Believe Health and Safety is dull? Risk Evolves Managing Director Helen Barge invites you to think again about the role of risk management workplace safety and outlines the essential qualities needed to succeed.
Health and safety is boring...
That’s the common misconception. Sometimes, our colleagues in other professions have a limited view of the job we do in risk management.
We know it’s not true, but when these myths are casually spread around it can make it very difficult for the profession to recruit the right people with the right skills.
Recently, the need for education and training was highlighted at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which made it clear that ignoring health and safety can have tragic consequences.
That’s why we need to blow the fallacies wide apart. We must let people know that health and safety is essential and if you want to work in our industry you need to be knowledgeable, passionate, adaptable and receptive.
The skills required are manifold. You only need to look at the sectors covered by Risk Evolves to appreciate the scope of areas covered by my colleagues. Our services include:
Qualities
In the context of risk management workplace safety, it’s possible to come up with an almost endless list of qualities required in our sector, but there are a few worth highlighting.
Communication
In the role you communicate with all kinds of audiences, from the board of directors to individual employees, and you must do it effectively. Engaging employees through clear and consistent communication helps you build a culture of safety and trust.
You can only do your job effectively if you have the backing of others. Being able to identify areas for improvement, understand their impact and have great attention to detail are all key.
Creating a risk management or health and safety policy demands diplomatic skills. Often you have to negotiate with other departments to decide what’s possible, convince staff to be risk-aware, liaise with auditors and justify your decisions to managers.
It’s vital that you have the ability to listen. A successful workplace is one where there are strong relationships. Employees know their work and their workplace inside out. They’ll come into contact with potential risks every day. So, it’s essential that you not only hear their views and concerns, but act on them.
Colleagues
Involving colleagues in decision making – by having employee representatives on your health and safety committee, for example – can make all the difference to their attitude to health and safety.
In health and safety, as in risk management more generally, you need to be good at problem solving. If you come to design processes for an entire organisation you must have well developed analytical skills, be thorough, and creative in your approach.
Risk assessment, including health and safety, involves identifying and analysing potential hazards in the workplace. This is paramount in preventing accidents and ensuring a safe environment for your colleagues. At the same time, analytical skills are particularly useful in health and safety management. They allow you to break down complex data sets, identify patterns and trends that shape safety protocols and practices.
This discipline is dynamic; you need to stay adaptable to changing circumstances and emerging risks. You should have a mindset that welcomes continuous learning and professional development. It will help you stay ahead of industry trends, new regulations and technological change.
Compliance
It may be obvious, but it needs emphasising; Health and Safety Officers must appreciate the importance of safety laws and compliance rules. Legislation such as the UK’s Health and Safety at Work Act are the basis of workplace safety standards.
As the world changes, it’s essential to stay updated on changes in law to ensure compliance and avoid penalties. Organisations that fail to do so can face serious consequences, from damaged reputation to legal action and large fines. We need people in our profession who recognise that following these rules helps create a safe working environment and promotes a culture of responsibility and diligence.
Given the importance of the topic, leadership skills are key attributes of Health and Safety Officers. To drive effective safety initiatives, it’s useful if you can lead by example to set a standard that others will follow and enhance the overall safety culture.
Strategy
More widely, if we are to lend weight to the health and safety cause, it’s important to integrate it into the overall business objectives. That helps make sure that it becomes part of everyday work instead of an unwelcome distraction from an employee’s role.
Leadership views are also crucial in this regard. If managers see health and safety as burdensome, employees will follow their lead. That’s why it’s essential to have a business’s management team feel positively about health and safety. As part of their role, managers should be encouraged to recognise positive action and celebrate good health and safety performance.
Diversity
The characteristics that make an effective Health and Safety Officer are held by every sector of society. As in most professions, diversity is a positive force in health and safety. Of course, a good number of women are forging successful careers in risk management, but we can always use more, especially in particular areas.
It’s important to note that women coming into this world are not just ticking a box for gender equality; they’re bringing fresh eyes and new ideas. And this isn’t just an add on; it’s essential. A diverse team tends to be more creative and effective.
The more accessible we can make our profession, the more it will thrive.
Ultimately, meaningful risk management workplace safety is about making sure people and businesses don’t come to harm. Think about that for a minute, and you realise it’s one of the most important tasks any professional can carry out. And it’s very far from boring.
Want to know about how you can succeed in health and safety?
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We also offer a series of free 30-minute webinars to support individuals and businesses navigate business continuity and risk management. Check out previous sessions, which include data protection, supply chain safeguards, new legislation information and a beginner’s guide to sustainability.
