A safety quest

Guest Post by Tim Allred – I used to work with Tim, many years ago, as a Safety Policeman/Crusader. Because of that role I’m Just Not That Into Safety Anymore. We have both unlearned an awful lot since then and I asked Tim if he would share some thoughts about his “quest”. Enjoy:

A safety quest

When I meet people at tell them I work in a health and safety role, their eyes roll in disgust as they conjure images of clipboard-toting safety police who have no understanding of the work they are commenting on. Compliance-driven and rules-focused. Image source

To be honest, I started my career thinking this was the norm. That the ‘Safety Police’ model is what being a safety professional was all about. Safety isn’t just about having a certified OHS Management System, or having consultants doing audits and risk assessment on particular work activities or processes. I’ve been there and done that. I know what it’s like to go to a site with very experienced operators to do a risk assessment, which they know is going to sit on a shelf (read: inbox) collecting dust. For ‘safety’ sake.

I learnt quickly that safety isn’t just about documentation trails and compliance. It’s about people.

It’s about Andrew – the fitter and turner. He has a wife, three girls, two cars and a love of Doctor Who and Lego.

It’s about Samantha – a mother of three who cares for her family at home and a ward of patients at work.

I can’t do what they do. I don’t have the skills and abilities that they’ve been gifted with. They also have a better perspective of what can go wrong in what they are doing, and how to prevent that from occurring.

Over time I’ve found myself deconstructing my own understanding of what health and safety is, and focusing on the relationships I’m developing in my day to day activities. The better I relate to my colleagues, the greater the opportunity I have to understand what is being done and in what context. I firmly support the views of Rosa Carrillo that ‘the principal action is for leaders to build relationships with each other and employees so that information may be exchanged accurately, at the right time, and in an atmosphere of mutual respect’ http://www.safetydifferently.com/why-relationships-matter-in-safety-performance/.

I still think there is a place for procedures and documented work practices, which are relevant to the business and operational context of the organisation. I still have a way to go in ‘unlearning’ safety – I admit that when I see Facebook / LinkedIn images of ‘How unsafe is this’ I have an automatic response of judgement. I have been challenged by the likes of Dr Rob Long, Rob Sams and Dave Collins who speak into discussions like these with insights.

For me personally, I sit in a space of constructive discontent. We are all on a journey – a quest if you will – of better understanding and approaching safety differently. This has started for me through reading more widely, being more conscious of my own safety discourse, and focusing on the dialogue, because that’s what counts. https://safetyrisk.net/six-tips-to-improve-your-safety-conversations/

Tim Allred  REGIONAL HSEQ MANAGER