Leadership

Is the level of safety in your organisation solely dependent on management’s commitment? Full stop?

In my view, the question deserves a deeper explanation, especially considering the Polish context, where leading by example still tends to fall short.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• How many times has your company made decisions that clearly suggest there are more important matters than implementing another safety programme?
• How many times has the decision been made that such a programme simply won’t work?
• How often have you heard that “safety is overrated” and that investment in HSE is just money down the drain?

Why is this negative approach to safety at work unacceptable?

Because no set of rules, personal protective equipment (PPE), or safety programmes—be it BBS or any other—can ever work if the people running the company are not genuinely interested in safety. Without basic management engagement, money spent on these measures may indeed be considered wasted. It is precisely the involvement of the CEO, directors, and managers that lays the foundation for setting and upholding safety rules.

Now, imagine you're a new employee. On your first day, a manager introduces you to the company’s policies.

One of these rules is to always use the handrail when using the stairs.

An hour later, you see that same manager walking up the stairs without holding the handrail. What’s the first thing that comes to mind?

“If he doesn’t do it, why should I?” The same goes for any other safety rule: “If the manager doesn’t care about safety, why should I bother?”This illustrates that supervisors’ behaviour has a greater influence on employee conduct than the policies themselves.

Leadership

Managerial commitment to occupational health and safety must be visible and clearly understood by all employees. Directors, managers, and HSE professionals are responsible for developing procedures, ensuring compliance, and implementing and sustaining HSE projects. In other words, they must lead by example.

A true safety leader is someone for whom safe habits have become second nature. But leadership goes beyond managing one’s own safety behaviour. A genuine leader also inspires others to actively reduce risk in the workplace.

Manager vs. Leader

The terms “manager” and “leader” are often used interchangeably, but there are crucial differences between these roles—differences that are key to achieving strong safety performance.

I'm referring in particular to managers working within rigid organisational hierarchies. They often believe that exerting formal authority is what defines leadership. What they forget is that leadership is a voluntary act: one person influencing another by modelling the right behaviours to reach shared goals and generate positive change within the company.

A manager can be a leader—but only through conscious effort and a willingness to cooperate with their team to effectively fulfil both roles.

What skills and competencies should a good safety leader have?

• Lead by example: know and follow the company’s safety rules—not just when others are watching, but as a matter of habit.
• Identify and respond to unsafe behaviours.
• Report hazards and dangerous practices.
• Maintain open communication with both colleagues and supervisors about safety.
• Implement changes to improve safety and working conditions.
• Encourage co-workers to engage in safe behaviours.
• Acknowledge and reinforce positive, safe actions by colleagues and team members.
• Accept constructive criticism of the safety system and take action to improve it.

This is just a brief summary of the core behaviours expected of a true safety leader.

In my work, I’ve often heard corporate directors say that “safety is overrated and proposed changes won’t work.””.

But they won’t work only if leadership fails to follow the very rules they’re asking their employees to obey.