DO YOU HAVE THESE 6 CORE CHARACTERISTICS OF A SAFETY OFFICER
By Michaela Meiswinkel | Read time 8 mins | April 2021 | Issue 1
Experience gained on the job is worth it’s weight in gold and my thoughts today—and gold they are 😉 —are a change from the usual safety systems blabber. Today I’m tackling the less predictable and governable side of safety: the person chosen to run the system.
You may possibly be reading this as “tips to consider” in your role as a Safety Officer or maybe for advice when appointing a Safety Officer. Perhaps this is for those wanting to know what to expect from your Safety Officer as an employee. I have been in the shoes of all three roles mentioned so let’s dive into what’s expected in this role.
HIGHLIGHTS
— Right-Hand-man
— Confidante
— Beyond reproach
— Outside the box
— Humility
— Kick or Kiss?
#1 RIGHT HAND MAN
Accountable managers are trusting their responsible persons/managers to fulfil their job roles but cannot always afford the necessary “floor time” to oversee these departments which is where quality and safety step in. These two departments seep into every part of a business—not in an overseeing role but rather via in-depth audits and surveys. Therefore, in an ideal company organogram, the Safety Office and Quality Departments are positioned below the Accountable Manager yet above the other departments.
These officers must not confuse their roles with that of Superman, flying in to save the day nor should the other managers view them as what I was once in affectionately referred to as: “a policeman with a clipboard!”
Safety has the added task of instilling a culture and motivating people. If done correctly, they gain knowledge of the attitudes and mindsets of individuals towards their work which the Safety Officer translates into insightful reports with solutions to aid the Accountable Manager in running the business safely.
#2 CONFIDANTE
Discretion, discretion, discretion. As a running joke we used a buzzer in meetings to silence whoever was talking too much or unnecessarily over-sharing. For those of you who took a guess as to why—yip, that buzzer was initially invented for one big mouth—mine!
A Safety Officer is privy to all information regarding unsafe acts gained through their own audits and surveys, through reports from employees as well as from safety-related conversations at a higher level. What is done with this information can make or break a safety culture. And it all revolves around using discretion:
1.A Safety Officer who is biased towards certain people in the business can lead to the common knowledge of who they confide in. If you cannot be trusted to keep information confidential, sensitive information will not be shared with you, and a major part in your role is lost.
2. I’ve been around managers who over-react to information and itch to come down on guilty parties. Instead of being the person seen as level-headed in dealing with reports, soon you find yourself labelled as untrustworthy which results in forceful use of ultimatums to get co-operation from others.
3.Finally, employees will not bring to light safety hazards in themselves or others if it will come back to them. Plain and simple.
“What is done with this information can make or break a safety culture.”
#3 BEYOND REPROACH
My predecessor asked me to do one thing when taking over from them as Safety Officer: Be beyond reproach.
“You gotta walk the walk, not just talk the talk.”
This common expression has its value in you being an example but there is a virtue which is more valued —being guilt free.
When you break the rules, you sweep your legs from underneath you—legs with strong, diamond shaped calves that you need to stand on the next time someone else steps out of line. Why? Because you lose your authority to discipline them back into shape if you too have broken the rules. May it be the same thing or completely different altogether, that person is going to remind you—and others—leaving you looking a bit a like fish lying there with its mouth hanging open. To remedy this is to come forward when you have made a mistake and accept the consequences.
In the same breath, you need to make sure that you hand out the consequences to all equally. Being beyond reproach encompasses fairness and if you fail to discipline one, (perhaps a work friend), you again lose the authority to discipline another. Depending on the circumstances, this could be interpreted as discrimination which opens up another whole can of worms.
#4 OUTSIDE THE BOX
When someone is told they have an upcoming refresher safety course, they usually follow this news with “cha-chook” and them cocking their hand as a weapon in a metaphorical way of escaping by a quick end to their life.
What makes safety relevant and interesting is not so much in “making it fun” through videos and jokes but in finding ways to apply it to render results that mean something to everyone. Take the time (or more accurately—make sure you are given the time) to research activities. Scenario based training has been proven to be the best way to gain participation and understanding.
Here’s an actual tip: As a Safety Officer you don’t have to reinvent the wheel! There is a plethora of resources out there and you have the expectation—and the prerogative—in your position to try out new things! As an example, I explored employee satisfaction surveys used in non-aviation workplaces and adapted them for the staff to complete. This enabled them to have a voice in safety as well as provide key information to add to the safety database.
#5 HUMILITY
Humility is the root needed in order to graft on any other kind of characteristic. Being humble enough to ask questions grows your knowledge. Letting people know you are open to suggestions bolsters your leadership. Being the first to say sorry increases trust. Sharing your weaknesses helps you develop a mentor—and we all need to be learning from someone.
My previous boss had an incredible characteristic that resulted in us innately working hard and being loyal to him and the business. One day he told me that he could never be as successful in his position if he tried to undertake any of the individual roles of the other managers ie. he needed me in the Safety Office, he needed a teacher personality in training, and the same for all the other managers. He knew that he himself would not do better just because he lead us, he knew that he needed us.
Safety Officers need input from individuals, from the simplest employee role right to the top to point out where the safety department is doing well and where they need to patch some holes. They use various talents from others to share the workload and must understand that a big part of their role is to serve.
#6 KICK OR KISS?
One of the banes of my existence as a Safety Officer is the loophole that allows those who do not have hands-on experience in aviation to become the manager of, in effect, the department that prevents catastrophic events from occurring. In plain words, if you have no flying experience, I personally do not believe you can completely fulfil the role of a Flight Safety Officer. ( See blog Doing The Right thing Right ). I myself have employed non-flyers into the safety department, but in assistant roles. You have to know your oats if you are going to even try and make a successful attempt at preventing accidents and incidents.
On the flip side of the Safety Officer needing to encompass knowledge and skills to be effective in their role, I do not believe a Safety Officer is there to chase anyone for reports of known hazards. Hazards are inevitable and so safety is non-negotiable. Full stop. Report the issue and the safety department’s promise should be to do whatever is in their power to eliminate it, or bring the risk down to an acceptable level. Fail to raise the alert and we Safety Officers will happily use the free time to write some more blogs!
“A safety officer is not there to kiss your butt, they are there to save your butt!”