RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
May 11, 2004
SAFETY BENEFITS WHEN DIRECTORS GO “BACK TO THE FLOOR”
New research for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents published today shows the benefits of directors returning to the shop floor to tackle health and safety issues.
The Society’s national occupational health and safety congress in Birmingham, sponsored by EDF Energy, was told that more needed to be done to encourage directors and senior managers to go “back to the floor” to see the situation for themselves.
Dr Sara Lumley, Director of the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health, carried out research among 23 RoSPA occupational safety award-winning organisations to look at how board members took responsibility for health and safety.
The aim was to see whether senior management demonstrated visible commitment and leadership in undertaking operational health and safety activities or whether they were too remote.
She found that 21 of the organisations carried out “back-to-the-floor” activities. These included health and safety tours, audits, inspections, risk assessments, accident and incident investigation, unannounced “crisis” visits and best area competitions.
Motivations included: moral duty of care, building a positive culture, strong leadership, testing health and safety management systems and improving loss control and client-customer confidence.
Dr Lumley told today’s conference: “Back-to the-floor activities develop a first-hand appreciation of gaps between corporate health and safety rhetoric and real conditions at the workface. They demonstrate strong leadership and visible commitment, not only to policy but also to its effective implementation.
“They involve and motivate employees; improve board-level understanding and focus on health and safety; and thus have a valuable role to play in contributing to improved performance.”
Now the Society wants “back-to-the-floor” activities introduced more widely and supported by the Health and Safety Commission in an effort to persuade more directors to provide greater health and safety leadership. Guidelines for organisations also need to be improved to include a specific requirement for directors to understand and take part in “back-to-the-floor” sessions.
*For the executive summary of the report, contact the RoSPA Press Office.
