OTA Dispatch Issue 1, 2019

34 Oregon Trucking Associations, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch SAFETY T he role of today’s safety professional can be a challenging and often overlooked position. We tend to forget that ultimately the entire well-being and future of the company can rest in the Safety Professional’s hands. Safety can make or break a company, large or small— especially in the trucking industry. They are tasked with determining the best way to prevent accidents, create a safe place to work, and get others to care about safety, just as much as they do. However, over the past 10 years, the position of the safety roles has evolved into a hybrid of safety manager and human resources manager, office manager, dispatcher, or driver coach. In some fleets, the owner can often be responsible for all these functions. Gone are the days of one person in each of those roles—even in the mid-sized fleets. The rise of these multi-hat careers can be largely attributed to the 2007 recession. Today’s business environment demands agility from safety professionals who want to be successful. It’s agility that allows for proper and effective responses to change, and it’s agility that turns adversities into opportunities. The ability to turn high risk into controlled exposures and, ultimately, profit, is paramount to success as a safety professional. Historically, the role of the safety manager was to patrol the workplace and ensure the organization was compliant with regulatory standards and company policy. There is a wide range of competencies and skills a safety manager needs in order to succeed in today’s workplace, and it’s fair to say the role of the safety manager is growing. Important behaviors, crucial to success, include customer service, problem-solving, needs analysis, and risk communication. Unfortunately, all too often the “safety culture” is derived from the regulatory need to simply check the boxes and ensure you have completed your safety meetings. Supporting this role and its ever changing demands is critical to the success of your company as the dependency and investment in safety continues to grow. I’d like to offer five things that you can offer your safety professional: 1 An open-door policy and open resources. The safety professional is often in a position to see the warning signs of a problem or negative trend. These individuals need the ability to freely express concerns with all levels of management. 2 Invest in accident analysis procedures from top management down. We no longer operate where the “safety cop” is the safety professional’s main role in our modern workplaces. In fact, safety managers that bring this antiquated approach to their work often find themselves disconnected and disempowered by the exact system they are supposed to be serving. The role must evolve beyond simple compliance. 3 Invest in education. The skill set for success includes soft skills such as communication, leadership, general business acumen and a technical understanding of your company’s core business. Important behaviors include customer service, problem-solving, needs analysis and risk communication. OTA’s Northwest Safety Certification is an excellent program that provides training and certification to your safety professional as well as an opportunity to interact and network with others in the industry. 4 Keep your safety professionals in the leadership team. Safety advisers use their knowledge and skills to promote a positive culture and best practices in health, safety and environmental management in the workplace. Their job is to support the operations team that is responsible for ensuring that everyone complies with safety regulations and promotes the overall management system. 5 Recognition. Good leadership recognizes and rewards. This includes daily good judgement and resolve in your safety professional, his or her team and each member of your company. These things can go a long way toward nurturing your employees’ desire to be safe. OTA’s Safety Professional of the Year is awarded each year at the at the OTA Safety Conference. Nominate your safety Director for awards and recognition—it’s important to remember that success unshared is ultimately unsuccessful. Safety Culture…we hear these words often today, but what exactly is a safety culture? It has been defined as the “collection of beliefs, perceptions and values that employees share in relation to risks within an organization, such as a workplace or community.” OK, but really, what is a safety culture and how do we achieve one? A good safety culture isn’t a checklist of manuals, forms, and meetings—it is something that is deeply imbedded into the operation of a company. It prevails everywhere, both consciously and more importantly unconsciously; it must exist within employees and managers and be an instinctive part of everything that goes on within a company. A safety culture can be an integral part of any business, whether a Supporting the Everchanging Role of the Safety Professional By Jennifer King, WHA Insurance