A safe and healthy workplace is good for your business. “The costs of health and safety failure, in the vast majority of cases, will far outweigh those of prevention.” Management need to observe safety as a value in the workplace as opposed to simply a compliance requirement. While compliance is necessary, the true benefit of robust WHS management will be most evident in a workplace where safety is embedded in the culture. But are your senior executives getting this message?
WHS initiatives need to be linked to the wider organisational needs and objectives. This link will help gain support from not only the Director for WHS but other Directors and the CEO who can understand how WHS positively affects their divisional objectives. Organisational objectives may encompass the following:
• Financial
• Moral
• Political
• Legal compliance
• Corporate image
• Quality orientation
• Industry pressure
For example, through establishing a strong safety culture in which safety is everyone’s responsibility, the organisation is fulfilling the above needs in the following ways:
Financial – An efficient system in which everyone contributes to WHS management requires less policing and human resources
Moral – Staff show concern for each other and their environment
Political – Management are viewed as facilitators towards the maintenance and continuous improvement of the WHS management system which may have a positive effect on staff wellbeing
Legal compliance – The WHS team are well informed on WHS hazards and performance enabling greater identification of non-compliances prior to an incident occurring
Corporate image – Increased staff wellbeing improves the quality of services or products for the customer
Quality orientation - WHS positively influences productivity and quality of services
Industry pressure – Attract the best contractors who compete to win your business and positively influence their own corporate image. WHS initiatives may also contribute to the industry and public perception of the organisation as a leader in the industry.
Note that there are financial benefits for an organisation through satisfying each of the needs above in addition to those usually raised such as reducing workers compensation premiums.
Do your research and liaise with Directors to identify where their critical needs are and how WHS initiatives may address those needs. The greater the connection between WHS initiatives and the fulfilment of the wider organisational needs, the greater the chance of acceptance.
[1] The Business Case for Safe, Healthy & Productive Work, 2014