Leading by example at your workplace

How management can shape a proactive health and safety culture.

Leading by example is a well-known management style—and for good reason. In construction, this tactic can make a big difference in how workers engage with health and safety on the jobsite.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) assigns specific responsibilities to each workplace party on a construction project. Together, these duties support the internal responsibility system (IRS) and contribute to a safe and healthy workplace.

Managers and supervisors, who often represent the employer, are responsible for protecting workers. Management members are also responsible for shaping a strong health and safety culture that promotes the IRS and encourages all workplace parties to prioritize safe work and wellness.

“Management is responsible for everything,” says Maren Gamble, IHSA’s Manager of Organizational Excellence. “That responsibility is not just about what is written down in legislation. Management is responsible for talking the talk and walking the walk.”

Shaping the culture

Managers, especially those in senior-level positions, should be health and safety role models for others on the jobsite.

“They are on stage 100 per cent of the time that they are on the clock and visible to employees,” Gamble says. “Everyone is watching what senior management does.”

For example, a senior manager who walks onto a site without the required personal protective equipment (PPE) signals to workers that health and safety is unimportant and following policies and procedures is optional. Conversely, a manager who takes the time to know what PPE is needed and wear it correctly shows that they take safety seriously.

Gamble notes that, just as they receive their job tasks from management, workers also take behavioural cues from their managers—as a way to earn approval and advance their careers (or, at least, keep their jobs).

“If health and safety gains approval, you’re more likely to see it repeated in your workforce,” she says.

There are many ways for members of management to lead by example:

• Be a source of knowledge: Health and safety is more than simply meeting legislative requirements. Management should be knowledgeable about the organization’s health and safety policies, procedures, and systems.
• Dress appropriately: Always wear the PPE required by workplace conditions—and ensure that gear is in good condition.
• Actively address health and safety hazards: A manager who spots a potential jobsite hazard should stop and address it. Ignoring the hazard sends the message that it’s acceptable for other workplace parties to leave hazards unaddressed.
• Keep the conversation going: While supervisors may not be able to say yes to every proposed change, they should always take time to discuss worker concerns and move the conversation forward. In workplaces where every voice is valued, workers are more likely to raise concerns before incidents happen.

Gamble adds that at least some health and safety work performed by management should be visible, rather than only happening behind the scenes. At some organizations, for example, members of management will conduct their own field inspections.

“It doesn’t have to be an extra thing that you add to your plate. It can be engaging with health and safety activity that’s already happening and holding yourself accountable to that,” she says.

Managing change on the jobsite

Management is also responsible for managing changes to workplace health and safety on the jobsite. This process can cause workers to be uncomfortable and resistant—especially if the approach is to overhaul the entire system at once.

“We’re asking employees to do their jobs differently. We’re asking them to reflect on something that they can probably do without thinking,” Gamble says, pointing out the risk that employees might interpret change as an indication they have done a task incorrectly in the past, rather than as an introduction to a healthier and safer way of working.

It’s possible to proactively manage change in a few ways:

• Recognize that change is hard: Start the conversation with affected workers about why a given change is important to the organization—and how management is committed to supporting employees during any transition.
• Consider the pain points: Think about all the possible questions and concerns workers may have about the change. This can help to identify what information employees need and how potential issues might be addressed before they become problems.
• Assess the risks: Conduct an informal risk assessment identifying any new psychological and physical safety hazards that the change may introduce.
• Prioritize the changes: If you’re introducing several changes, consider implementing them in stages (starting with the most important or necessary) rather than dropping them on staff all at once. Communicate these priorities to workers.

Investing in health and safety

When an organization’s management team makes the effort to build a proactive health and safety culture, it can positively influence all operations.

“You’ll have a workplace where conversations around health and safety are happening organically,” Gamble says. “They don’t have to be scheduled. They’re just happening around you and workers are looking out for one another because they care about their co-workers.”

When workers are engaged in health and safety, they also tend to be more efficient, innovative, and open to change.

“If you’ve built a relationship around health and safety where workers are willing to have conversations about how something is going to look and how you can do it best, then you’re actually starting to influence production efficiency,” she says.

Embracing personal growth

While it may feel like the expectation is to be the perfect health and safety leader, Gamble says that’s unrealistic. If a member of management makes a mistake on the jobsite, they should reflect on what happened in order to learn how they could better handle the situation in the future.

“Health and safety culture has been growing steadily for many years. It’s not the same as it was 10 or 20 years ago, and it won’t be the same in 10 more years,” Gamble says. “We’re all learning. We’re in this together.”