Industrial Safety can be explained in two (2) simple aspects:
1) Culture/Management
2) Technical Safety
Culture/Management is simply stated as MANAGEMENT OWNS and DRIVES safety. Without this aspect, the quality of the safety process means very little.
Technical Safety is the QUALITY of the Safety Management System and its ability to meet the expectations that Management has established.
Neither can function without the other!
I have seen world-class SMSs in writing, only to see them fail completely because management lacked interest in managing safety through a structured process.
I have seen management teams have a genuine desire for greatness in safety, only to fail to achieve their goals, simply because the safety team had a “compliance mindset” and an inability to develop, implement, measure, and manage risks through a structured process.
BOTH SIDES of this equation MUST work together to achieve greatness in safety. Unfortunately, what we typically see is these sides at war with one another, and the “demilitarized zone” between them is filled with banners, games, blame, and virtue signaling. This erodes any remaining trust and credibility in both groups, and it is the men and women doing the dirty and dangerous work who pay the ultimate price for this failure.
