'Do as I do or do as I say?”– the vital leadership role of health and safety professionals
May 1st 2009 As we approach the formal launch of the new strategy for Health and Safety in Great Britain, there is no doubt that we want to see boards, directors and senior managers leading in health and safety matters – and we want workforces of every shape and size to be actively involved. But this does not diminish the importance of the role of health and safety professionals.
People will continue to look to you as an expert who knows what the law requires, what the guidance says, and what a risk assessment needs to cover and so on. You are the expert after all, and you have worked hard to build your knowledge. However, your key role is to advise and show others how they can integrate health and safety into their own functions and responsibilities – rather than step in and do it for them.
If you are charged with writing procedures or developing a management system, your prime responsibility is to ensure that it reflects reality. The system must be practical and easy to use for those who actually carry out the work; it shouldn’t be designed to look impressive to managers, regulators or anyone else.
Our new strategy recognises the need to build competence in everyone who is part of the system. This process has to start with health and safety professionals, who need to apply their knowledge in a proportionate and meaningful way – where competence means judging what is fit for purpose and ‘good enough’ without being ‘over the top’.
You will be a powerful role model to others, showing leadership in taking a commonsense and proportionate approach to managing the real risks and being prepared to ignore the trivia – by showing confidence in judging when things are good enough. You will build credibility in, and commitment to, health and safety among managers and workforce. People will follow your advice because it makes sense. The net result will produce improved safety and health performance and the business will see double benefits: less time and money will be spent yet real improvement will be achieved – and in the present economic climate that is absolutely vital.
The challenge lies in setting new measures of competence based on application as well as in becoming a leader who influences the whole organisation’s behaviour. We are all in the business of doing what is reasonable and practical to reduce real risks – not the elimination of all risks. We will not set the right example to others if our behaviour and advice as health and safety professionals is too risk-averse.
Over the top, risk-averse advice gets ignored and left on the shelf to gather dust. Knowing the rules and requirements is essential; knowing how to apply that knowledge to motivate others is what really counts and really makes a difference.
Are you a leader? Is your work an exemplar of commonsense and practicality? Is your approach underpinned by the right ‘walk and talk’?
Judith Hackitt CBE
HSE Chair More articles from HSE Direct: | 
