Many businesses experience the friction between achieving sales results and maintaining a safe working environment. How can these potentially conflicting priorities be achieved?
On one hand income generation by delivering the businesses product/service, on the other something that potentially gets in the way and incurs cost and some might say business obstruction, but for which there can be significant consequences if ignored.
We have worked with a client who have battled this very issue and where a breakthrough has finally come. As we complete a re-audit programme for them, sites are showing significant improvements in their risk management standards, there is real ownership and engagement and they are even starting to look at each other’s results with an eye on being the best!
The Board has always supported Health & Safety management in the business, resources and budget had been allocated to the process across their multiple locations and Health & Safety coordinators had been appointed to support local General Managers.
But despite all this the business wasn't engaging and this was creating frustration and tension. The Centre was pushing on a door that was obstructed.
Engagement of General/Middle management is a critical element to a successful Health & Safety organisation. This group implements the processes set by the business leadership and if they are not on-board far from being enablers they are a dis-enablers and at worst detractors.
The light bulb moment came after the results of our Audit programme bench marking each site against HS(G)65 were presented in a way that allowed the Board to understand how "compliant" they were, or to put in another way - the LIKELIHOOD of prosecution should they suffer an incident in the workplace.
On the other side of the RISK equation we used the new H&S Sentencing Guidelines to put a financial value on the CONSEQUENCES.
The reality of the situation was that the Board hadn’t properly understood the RISK and as such hadn’t ACCEPTED it. They were going through the motions rather than it being part of their business process. So it wasn't surprising that their RISK TREATMENTs didn't work.
With the RISK properly accepted we started looking at the RISK TREATMENT. As a sales and results focused business and now with a realisation that they could have Health & Safety performance metrics, both from the site inspections and through their BCarm system, it was a simple step for this to become part of the published site performance metrics and thereby tapping into the competitive culture, which is one of the Business' positive features. Rather than a separate function that needed to be addressed, it formed part of their day to day operations and focus.
They now had a means of engagement at all levels of the business and the BCarm Health & Safety management system as the management method, training delivery vehicle, source of ongoing performance data, repository for all of their records and means of validating site performance.
So with the business now engaged and achieving meaningful results they all thought were unachievable, we will shortly be fanning the flames of personal pride and competition, by awarding best and most improved location "awards".
The next steps will be to start using this data to enable them to have a meaningful discussion with their insurers about their RISK TRANSFER COSTS.
If you recognise these issues and want to get in touch email info@bcarm.co.uk or call 0800 879 9981.
Mark Hutchinson, BEng DipSM MIIRSM FRSPH ProfGradIMMM AMBCI
BCarm Senior Risk Engineer