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Management's Commitment to Safety on the Jobsite- Part 1

Writer's picture: Tiffany TillemaTiffany Tillema

We will be discussing the importance of being seen on the Jobsite how we lead by example and make safety a fun, meaningful experience to keep employees motivated and safety conscious. Some of these suggestions may or may not be practical for your company. Find something that works for you, and DO IT!



Safety is priority


Of Course, safety will always be a priority. We need our workers to come back the next day, and their families need them to go home each night. But sometimes, it seems that management is a distant, unattached entity that is only seen when there is a problem.

We will talk about some of the ways we can un-demonize our roles as management when implementing safety on the Jobsite itself.


This includes first creating a program that works.

Being seen on-site regularly and not just when there is a problem.

Leading by example.

Knowing the guys on the crew and how they think so, you can motivate them and keep them involved.

Making it as fun and easy as possible.


Creating a program that works will require that we educate ourselves on OSHA and State requirements and how to start and keep a program that works and becomes so ingrained in our company culture that they carry the idea of safety home to their families.


Thus we become part Manager, part Teacher, and part physiologist.



A Program that works


The management's role is to get the program started, but it needs to be a program that works and meets your company's needs. This means you need to tweak that program once in a while so that it's not stagnated and continues to meet your needs.

Traditionally, we find the regulations online, write a program, pass them to the field, and forget about it until something terrible happens. Someone gets hurt, there is a pandemic, or you get a surprise inspection that finds a problem in the field. That's when the program changes.

We need to be proactive! Let's find and fix the problems BEFORE someone gets hurt or a surprise inspection finds our program non-compliant.

We then take our plan to our field management, Foremen, operations managers, project managers, and those that see the crew every day. They need to be educated on changes, new policies, and how they will be implemented.

They, in turn, can pass these on to the crew.

You can meet with the crew and explain what you need to be done on-site.



Be seen on the jobsite


cannot emphasize this enough. Your guys need to SEE you! Not just when something goes wrong, and not just once a year at the company party! They need you out there, and they need to know who you are so that they know you are a real person willing to come out on a dirty job and speak with them in person. Otherwise, to them, you are a "pencil pusher," And it becomes difficult to get everyone on one page. I've been called a pencil pusher by those not part of my company when I have talked on a podcast or in a Facebook group, and it's not a compliment.

They may come to eventually hate you because they only see you when something goes wrong!


I know some of you have large companies, and being on the job would be difficult as you may not even be in the same state as some crews. However, you can ensure that whomever you have in charge is seen and heard. It's your Management team that needs to be seen. Maybe Once a month, but at some point, they need to know that management has their back and cares about them.

From here on out, when I say "you" or "Your," I will be referring not only to you personally but to your management teams and safety crew.




Why be on the Job?


It's hard to be an example when they don't see you or when you come to a Jobsite, and you don't follow your own rules. They need to know that the rules are there to keep everyone safe, including management. You set the example by being there with proper PPE and bonus points if you come prepared to work once in a while. You also become a real person, not just a piece of paper.


To reach our field workers, we need to know them. How can we develop a program that works otherwise? When we show up at the Jobsite, we become teachers, teaching them to implement the safety protocol properly, and we become psychologists learning about our field workers and how they think so that we can find the best ways possible to help them understand the importance of the program and even of safety in their personal lives.


Every Jobsite is different, as is every crew. The only way we know how to implement a specific policy is to go to the Jobsite, every Jobsite, and observe the needs of that site and that particular crew. We can get closer to motivating them to apply our protocol.


To be continued...

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