Management Leadership and Accountability

Managing vs. Leading By managing, organizations make things happen By leading, organizations show employees why safety matters and why they should be motivated

Top Ways to Improve Safety Management Integrate all aspects of the safety program into a single comprehensive management system Manage safety at the same level and degree as every other aspect of the business Integrate safety into the process of the business Safety is a value and not a priority Lead with a philosophy that all injuries/illnesses are preventable Provide for and encourage meaningful employee involvement in the safety process

“The single greatest safety system failure in corporate America today is the lack of accountability” Dan Peterson

If employees don’t believe they’re going to be held accountable for their decisions related to safety, the safety effort is ultimately doomed for failure.

What is Accountability? Most common responses refer to negative consequences for failure to perform Dictionary: Liable or Answerable It is the ability to account for or to measure Obligation to fulfill a task…or else These are the key points that need to be understood.

Accountability It can be reactive – constantly putting out fires It can be proactive – an executed plan that works in the field These are the key points that need to be understood.

Responsibility vs. Accountability Responsibility is an obligation to perform duties It relies on personal integrity It does not necessarily have associated consequences Accountability requires consequences Consequences should be balanced

Responsibility vs. Accountability Someone is accountable when his/her performance is measured When someone is responsible, his/her performance is not necessarily measured The objective is to motivate performance

Accountability Supervisors are often measured on schedule, production, cost, etc They are seldom measured on safety performance Holding managers and supervisors accountable for safety sends the message that safety is a core value

Accountability Elements Physical resources (conditions) Tools, equipment, materials, environment Psychosocial support (behaviors) Training, schedules, procedures, management Process of evaluation Daily observations, formal evaluations Effective consequences Positive recognition or appropriate corrective action

Measuring Performance Can you measure the Presence of Safety rather than the absence of an injury? Does safety have an equal weight to other performance measures? Are consequences applied consistently at all levels of the organization? How often should safety activities/results be evaluated for their effectiveness?