A Safety 30 Second Check-up: What’s in your blind spot?

Here is your Safety 30 Second Check-up!

One of most not-talked-about worry for any executive, manager, or supervisor is, “What don’t I know?” That nagging feeling that something is going to appear that you should know or as a leader should have ought to known. That’s your blind spot “talking.”  It happens to the best of us.

Leaders put in place strategic initiatives to ensure the company’s productivity, quality, and safety. We strive to identify and mitigate any risk that may harm the company, it’s people, or clients. 

But let’s be honest — we can’t be everywhere all the time. We have to rely on various sources of feedback to gauge the success of the company. That feedback of course will be filtered through the various layers of a corporation. The higher up the management chain you are, the less reality you have of the “shop floor.”

So how do you compensate for blind spots in your role? Here’s a few tried and proven ways:

“Walk the floor” under the guise of a safety inspection. The old adage, “managing behind the desk” quickly comes to mind. The worse thing a manager or supervisor can do is never observe the work on the shop floor. You would be amazed the things you find out about roadblocks to better productivity, quality, and safety. All three are connected. You can’t have one without the other two. Safety inspections aren’t just safety inspections —but that’s another posting.

Weekly meetings with department managers and supervisors. Engaging your people one-on-one builds trust and provides direct support. Their problems are your problems. Help them fix the issues.

How about hosting a lunch once a month with a few shop floor employees? Innovation comes from challenges and inspiration. What an opportunity to hear first-hand about challenges and what an opportunity to inspire employees. Seems like an easy win-win.

Talk to your customers. When’s the last time you asked them for feedback on safety, quality, productivity, billing, shipping, or receiving? Why not sit down with them and do a formal survey face-to-face? The benefits are too numerous to list here.  

Speak with others in your industry whether directly or through joining an industry association. You’d be surprised their concerns are just like yours. 

Contact me to learn more about blind spots: roger.belair@onsitehse.com

And that’s your 30 Second Safety Check-up.

Presented by Roger Belair, CRSP and Trace Lane, CRSP