Don’t get me wrong, managers out in the plant wearing all the PPE and talking safety with their teams is a HUGE boost to safety (when it’s done consistently and well).
I learned about “safety contacts” while at Great Lakes Chemicals in the mid-90s and used them at all my sites afterward. They have had a huge impact wherever they have been used since. Most clients who use it even make it a leading indicator in their Safety Metrics.
HOWEVER, without a sound, functioning SMS that includes well-defined, written safe work practices supported by excellent face-to-face training, those “safety contacts” are viewed through a different lens by the workforce. I believe those “safety contacts” should be grounded in discussions of the SMS and SWPs, how well they’re working, and what we can do to improve them.
So yes, management MUST be out and about in the working areas of their facilities, talking with their workers. But what is talked about makes a HUGE difference. And yes, I am fine with having a “personal touch” about family and life in general during these discussions, but those talking points do not elicit the information we need to IMPROVE the SMS/SWPs. With everyone strapped for time and more work, having a FOCUSED APPROACH to safety contacts makes the time more beneficial to all.
I like my managers to have options on the topics they can discuss each month. For example, I always had my annual training schedule, and each month, one of the topics a manager could discuss is the training topic for that month. I frowned at the at-home topics, such as having a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, and it always puzzled me when managers complained they had nothing else to talk about each week. Keep in mind, I was always pushing near-miss/first-aid reporting, and we got dozens of reports each month. Those are GREAT conversation starters and an opportunity for management to demonstrate their commitment to safety by discussing the corrective actions taken in response to those events. Please understand that, as the culture around safety matures, home safety is a fair topic to discuss. But in the early years, we have plenty to discuss about our safety in the chemical plant!
I’m the biggest “cheerleader” you will meet in safety. I talk about every waking moment, and I’m often awakened by safety thoughts from the previous day! And yes, I love to get to know the people I have the privilege to protect. But they know this is NOT A GAME with me. It’s not a song and dance. It’s all about THEIR SAFETY, whether they like it or not. 
Managers need to convince them they are in the same camp, as everyone expects me to be in that camp. But my daily decisions do not impact the culture around safety as much as a unit/department manager’s decisions do.
