Safety Leadership: Strategies for Workplace Health and Safety

This essay comprehensively examines safety leadership within organizations, emphasizing its crucial role in fostering a safe and healthy work environment. It delves into the multifaceted responsibilities of management, including directors and supervisors, in establishing safety values, developing procedures, and ensuring employee engagement. The essay highlights the importance of strong leadership, visible commitment, and continuous assessment of safety performance. It explores the significance of employee involvement, communication, and training in creating a collaborative safety culture. The essay differentiates the roles of directors and supervisors, emphasizing their individual contributions to safety management and regulatory compliance. The paper also reviews the literature on safety leadership, and concludes by reiterating the importance of management's role in promoting workplace safety and health. It suggests that effective safety leadership is essential for reducing accidents, improving productivity, and creating a positive work environment.

Running Head: Safety Leadership 1
Safety Leadership
Introduction:
Safety leadership is considered as process in which leader influence the group of
people to compliance with all the safety regulations and policies adopted by the

Safety leadership 2
organization. Safety leadership is mainly determined as an important component of
organization process. It helps the organization in dealing with the issues related to
safety and health of the workers of the organization, and also ensures safety culture
in the organization. There are number of benefits of safety leadership such as it
helps the organization in improving the safety awareness among their employees
and also reduce the lost and accidents in the organization, etc.
When an organization mainly focusing on safety improvement at their workplace,
then at that time role played by individual leader becomes more important, and it
involves the need for an actionable model for ensuring health and safety and
workplace. There are number of elements and components which ensure effective
leadership in context of safety and health, and the most important element is safety
leader. This paper frames the accurate model of safety leadership with the brief
examination of personality of the safety leaders and how these leaders influence
the safety function (Krause, 2007; Tavenner, 2007).
Structure of this essay includes the brief literature on safety leadership, and
subsequently, role played by top level management and other levels of the
management in ensuring safety and health in the organization. Lastly, paper is
concluded with brief conclusion.
Literature related to safety leadership:
Safety leadership is the most important process of organizational activities, and
because of this it is very necessary for the leaders of the business to show their
commitment towards the safety leadership. In other towards, leaders must ensure
health and safety of their workers in the organization and for this purpose it is
necessary for leaders of the organization to ensure effective leadership in the
context of safety and health.
Safety leadership is considered as process desired objective is stated by the leader
and leader also set up the team to achieve that objective related to safety value in
the organization. This type of leadership also helps the leaders of the organization
in maintaining the employees behavior related to safety objectives (White, 2016).

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Operations related to safety performance are conducted by the leaders of the
organization. Leaders of the organization are responsible to establish the values,
develop procedures, and enforce the accountability in terms of their safety
programs. On the other hand, safety leaders are also responsible to set the
standards related to safe behavior in their organization. Generally, it is expected
from safety leader to be someone who ensures high safety DNA in the organization.
However, leadership is more than just managing one’s own behavior. A good safety
leader also motivates his followers and other co-workers to follow the safety goals
(Perz, 2015).
First, CBI defined the safety leadership in their publication named as ‘Developing a
Safety Culture’. According to CBI (1990), safety leadership is necessary for
initiating, developing, and sustaining safety culture in the organization. After some
time, publication made by HSE named as ‘Organizing for Safety’ defines the
detailed concept of safety leadership (ACSNI, 1993):
 HSE defined the importance of leadership, and also the commitment of chief
executive in terms of the safety leadership.
 HSE defined the role played by executive management in context of safety
leadership.
 Organization must ensure the engagement of all the employees in the
achievement of safety goals.
 Communication in terms of safety leadership.
Success of safety management and programs in the organization clearly depends
on the behavior and qualities of the effective safety leaders within a particular
company. The personal qualities and qualities of the safety leaders are the most
important things which require inspiring the employees of the organization to
ensure high level of safety in the organization which accompanied the higher level
of productivity.

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Analysis & Discussion:
Role of management:
Management can show leadership by preventing the risks related to safety and
health at workplace. There are three management principles which are necessary
for ensuring safety and health at workplace, and these three principles are stated
below:
 Effective and strong leadership related to safety management.
 Workers and employees of the organization must be involved in safety
management.
 Continuous assessment and review related to safety performance.
All these points are discussed in detail below.
Directors:
Leadership is considered as condition of success and also a preventive approach
which is fruitful in nature if supported by the top management and directors of the
organization. A strong and visible leadership at all the levels and also engages
mangers provides the direction and resources for safety leadership. This preventive
approach makes it clear that safety and health are considered as strategic
questions in the organization. In practical sense, top level management and
directors are responsible to:
 It is necessary that top level management and directors commit themselves
towards safety and health at organization, and also make safety and health
as core value of the organization.
 Managers and directors must have accurate picture of the risk profile related
to health and safety in the organization.
 Management must set example and also demonstrates leadership integrity,
such as by following all the rules and regulations related to safety and health.
 Management must specify the role and responsibility played by different
actors for the purpose of preventing and managing health and safety risks in
the organization, and also monitors their performances on continuous basis.

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 Management ensures that health and safety is integrated in the corporate
social responsibility strategy, supply chain, and vision and mission of the
organization.
Other responsibility of top level management and directors are ensuring employee’s
engagement, and it is considered as two ways process in which workers are
involved and their constructive engagement are important for the success of
management initiatives. Employers in terms of law must consult their employees
about the health and safety. This includes sharing of information, provides
instructions and training, and engaged in consultation with the workers and their
representatives. There are number of laws which obliged the employees to make
safety committee and representative of workers in context of health and safety.
Participation of workers helps the management and directors in establishing the
culture of dialogue in the organization. Workers and their representatives are
encouraged to take part in decision making of health and safety. Some employers
have found benefits while fulfilling these legal obligations (OSHA, 2017; Zero harm,
2014).
It is necessary that employers encourage the employees for active health and
safety involvement on a daily basis, and also includes the workers in different
groups such as working groups on specific topics. For ensuring employees
engagement, effective communication is considered as important tool.
Communication is the tool in which workers listens the employer and act as per the
instructions of the employer. Workers also accept their responsibility to follow the
rules and regulations related to health and safety at workplace and also engaged
with the management in constructive manner. This two-way process helps the
employer in creating the culture of health and safety and workers are based on
collaboration, trust and join problem solving. Once established this culture has the
potential for health and safety improvements, and it also direct the participation of
the worker as an alternative to system worker’s representative. There are two types
of ways which can be used in effective manner, in line with national frameworks and
the specific characteristics of the workplace.
There are two ways which can be used by top management and directors in
effective manner, in context with laws and as per the characteristics of the

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workplace. Benefits of this active approach include lower accident rates, cost-
effective solutions and a more productive workforce. This may result in lower
absentee rates and better control of workplace risks. Input of the employee is
considered important at the time of assessment of risk, development of policies and
interventions, and at the time of training and implementation (OSHA, n.d.; Usrey,
2014).
Directors are also responsible to conduct continuous assessment and review of their
performance related to safety leadership. This helps the directors in identifying the
loopholes at early stage and take preventive measures to deal with these loopholes.
Review of the performance not only helps the directors in identifying the loopholes
but it also help the management and senior executives in understanding the way
through which company can deal with these issues. Review also provides important
information to the management and effective ideas of employees.
Directors of the organization are under obligation to create proper framework for
following purposes:
 For establishing rules and regulations in context of safety leadership and also
the procedures through which these rules and regulations are compiled.
 For the purpose of providing training and development, directors must frame
proper procedure and programs through which these directors can provide
training to the employees in context of safety management.
 Directors of the organization must frame proper framework for ensuring
review of the safety management performance on continuous basis.
Supervisor:
For the purpose of ensuring safe and secure culture in the organization, it is
necessary that supervisor use his ability to lead positively and also manage the
regulatory compliance. From last few years, role of the workforce in the
organization becomes leaner and the role of the supervisor continues to be one of
the most important elements in the organization for the purpose of achieving safety
goals in the organization. Supervisor of the organization reduce the gap between
the top management and employees, and they are considered as link between

Safety leadership 7
them. Supervisors in the organization are also responsible to conduct various
actions related to safety management and here are some responsibilities of
supervisor in safety leadership (Misch, 2015):
 Safety values of the organization must be communicated to the workers by
the supervisor, and also other provisions related to health and safety.
 Supervisor must ensure that all the safety equipment and other tools related
to safety management are available for helping those workers who are
working on the site of the organization.
 It is also the responsibility of the supervisor to provide proper training related
to work and also provides the training in terms of safety and health to the
workers of the organization.
 Supervisor must identify the physical hazards at the working site and also
take measures for reducing those risks.
 Supervisor also report the manager and other executives of top management
any risk which is identified at the workplace, and also file report to the
manager about the daily performance of the employees in context of health
and safety in the organization.
Responsibility of both director and supervisor are completely different from each
other in terms of safety leadership, but it also similar in various ways. However,
direction of both director and supervisor are equally important and both the leaders
play very important role in the organization in safety management.
Conclusion & Recommendation:
After discussing the role of management in the safety leadership, it is clear that
both directors and supervisors play very important role in the safety leadership.
Both director and supervisor play effective role of safety leader and ensures safety
management in the organization. Safety leadership helps the organization in
dealing with the issues related to safety and health of the workers of the
organization, and also ensures safety culture in the organization. Both the safety
leaders must conduct the operations related to safety performance of the
organization. Leaders of the organization are responsible to establish the values,
develop procedures, and enforce the accountability in terms of their safety

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programs. Top level management and directors are responsible to ensure
employee’s engagement, and it is considered as two ways process in which workers
are involved and their constructive engagement are important for the success of
management initiatives. On the other hand, it is necessary that supervisor use his
ability to lead positively and also manage the regulatory compliance.
References:
CBI, (1990). Developing a Safety Culture: Business for Safety. Confederation of
British Industry.
HSC, (1993). Advisory Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations. ACSNI
Study Group on Human Factors. Third Report. Organizing for Safety. Advisory
Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installation.
Krauser, T. (2007). Leadership: The Effective Safety Leader: Personality, Values &
Emotional Commitment. Available at:
http://www.ehstoday.com/safety/ehs_imp_72038. Accessed on 24th November 2017.
Misch, M. (2015). Safety Leadership: The Supervisor’s Role. Available at:
https://www.aist.org/AIST/aist/AIST/Publications/safety%20first/Safety_First_Apr-
15.pdf. Accessed on 29th November 2017.
OSHA, (2017). Management Leadership. Available at:
https://www.osha.gov/shpguidelines/management-leadership.html. Accessed on
29th November 2017.

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OSHA. Management Leadership in Occupational Safety and Health. Available at:
https://www.google.co.in/url?
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on 24th November 2017.
Perz, E. (2015). 10 traits of safety leadership. Available at:
https://www.ishn.com/articles/102420-traits-of-safety-leadership. Accessed on 24th
November 2017.
Tavenner, J. (2007). Become A Safety Leader. Available at:
http://www.ehstoday.com/safety/ehs_imp_77288. Accessed on 24th November 2017.
Usrey, M. (2014). Leadership, not safety management systems, keeps employees
safe. Available at: http://www.ehstoday.com/safety-leadership/safety-leadership-
not-management-systems. Accessed on 24th November 2017.
White, C. (2016). Safety Leadership is NOT Safety Management. Available at:
http://www.selectinternational.com/safety-blog/bid/185973/safety-leadership-is-not-
safety-management. Accessed on 24th November 2017.
WLP. Director’s Safety Responsibilities and Safety Leadership. Available at: http://w-
l-p.co.uk/directors-safety-responsibilities-and-safety-leadership/. Accessed on 24th
November 2017.
Zero Harm, (2014). What is safety leadership?. Available at:
http://www.zeroharm.org.nz/assets/docs/leadership/What-is-safety-leadership-A-
guide-for-Chief-Executives-Oct-2014.pdf. Accessed on 24th November 2017.