Even though executive-level employees don’t tend to be working in the field, they are still key factors in determining the health and safety of every worker within a company.
When board members and other senior executives come together to make safety decisions, they are responsible for every single worker’s day to day life. Because of this, these senior executives need to be made aware of several key factors that will help them to make up a good health and safety plan.
The most important thing to understand from an executive standpoint is the overall framework of a company. Having a fully developed knowledge of the way a company works – not just in plans and theory but in everyday practice – means that executives will be able to tailor their safety plan to the exact needs and specific culture of the workspace. If this is not in place before any other deliberations take place, the safety strategy may not work as well as planned when it comes time to move from plan to reality.
Board members must also examine their own role in the company and the attitudes they hold towards health and safety. Do your executives pride themselves on meeting minimum compliance standards, or do they strive to implement practices that make everyone as safe as possible? Who among the company’s leadership takes the most responsibility for safety and heatlh planning? How much energy does the executive level currently put into understanding the implications of every health and safety decision? Answering these questions will allow executives to figure out how to best make their current behaviors even safer.
Furthermore, every senior executive involved in safety and health planning needs to commit themselves to advancing health and safety in the workplace. When it comes to creating a plan that affects all members of the company, lackluster effort just won’t cut it. Make sure to pay attention to safety and health trends as well as official compliance standards in order to keep up a safe work environment.
