Article Critique: The organizational role of the safety professional

Best Practices j Safety Committees Line Ownership & The SH&E Professional By Richard J. Horan Jr.

An SH&E committee that is wellorganized will consistently demonstrate good leadership, effec- tive facilitation by committee chairs and engagement of all members. The best SH&E committee will prove that there is one transformation that separates it from the rest: Line ownership of the committee with SH&E professional support. This truly is the qualifier for a top-tier SH&E committee that can have a positive effect on changing a safety culture. To achieve success through line ownership, all members must understand the committee's purpose and processes. ,̂

Leadership Involvement An effective SH&E committee must

have certain traits that will contribute to accomplishing actions identified by its members, and it begins with leadership involvement. Effective committees have the support of senior leadership, which endorses the purpose and is involved at some level in the committee structure. At large corporations, a top-down/ bottom-up approach is a great way for information to flow, especially when several tiers of SH&E committees exist.

Once endorsed, top leaders need to "walk the talk" and practice what they preach. Senior leaders also need to be visible not only at the top-tier commit- tee, but in the organization's operations. To have a strong, effective safety culture, senior management must support all as- pects of safety programs, which include committees. Having a streamlined, com- prehensive structure for SH&E commit- tees can increase communications and employee participation, which can lead to improved environmental, safety and human performance.

Middle management plays a key role in ensuring line ownership of these committees. Many organizations have either a director or manager lead an SH&E committee with SH&E profes- sional support. The committee chair must show that s/he is not only the lead for the committee, but an effective facili- tator during the meeting. Leading and facilitating in this environment go hand- in-hand. To succeed in line ownership of the committee, the chair sees the SH&E professional as another member of the

committee, not the owner of most action items generated during meetings.

As a member, the SH&E professional is viewed as a solid resource for SH&E concerns and as a strong advocate for the committee's purpose and processes. The SH&E professional helps keep the topic on track with implementation strategies; keeping members focused on SH&E while not deviating to other corporate issues of the day (e.g., over- time, pay grades, etc.); and ensuring collaboration and that all committee members participate and contribute. With a direct line to senior manage- ment and support, this keeps the com- mittee focused and on track.

Choose employees already committed

to the cause. This stimulates

committee involvement. Supervisors are essentially the gate-

keepers of SH&E concerns before they are elevated to an SH&E committee. To have success in line ownership of safety means frontline supervisors are aware of an SH&E issue and take responsibility to initiate its resolution. Tl̂ e issue or con- cern should not get past the supervisor unless additional resources are required, such as support from other depart- ments within the company or approval of funds. If the issue is resolved at the front line and has generic information for others in the company, then it will be shared at the next committee meeting.

Once the management team is fully on board with driving the line owner- ship charge, it is vital to achieve buy-in and involvement from all workers. Line ownership of safety means ac- tive participation from management and frontline workers. An example of ownership and participation is when frontline workers raise an SH&E concern and offer a viable solution to the concern. In general, many employ- ees are knowledgeable on their tasks, tools, equipment and work environ- ment. They usually provide appropriate solutions to an SH&E concern when identifying an issue.

However, when they offer solu- tions that cannot be implemented, care should be taken not to disdain

employees. When frontline personnel are involved in the process and open communications are in place between management and employees, then the committees can expect results.

Committee Selection When developing an SH&E com-

mittee, the first selection of members is fundamental to ensure maximum effect. Choose employees already committed to the cause. This stimulates committee involvement. As members rotate off in a staggered manner, replace them us- ing a selection process that engenders a sense of high performance and reward. This grows in importance as you prog- ress from the top-tier to the lower-tier safety committees.

Committee Structure Large companies will usually form

three levels of SH&E committees. A level-one committee is within the build- ing or region of the organization and meets monthly. A level-two commit- tee consists of several regions meeting together and following a similar agenda of a level-one meeting. Select members from level-one committees will be on the level-two committee. A level-three committee consists of senior leaders and their direct reports. Several representa- tives from level-two committees will also be members of a level-three committee. Organizations with a union environ- ment will usually have a chair/cochair or two cochairs on their committees.

The standard profile for committee structure is equal numbers of manage- ment and employee representatives. Employees or their union represen- tatives (where labor organizations exist) are asked to select committee members. Management will select representatives based on commitment to SH&E topics, awareness and the skill to interact with other members to achieve results. Committee members will be selected for their passion and role in leading for SH&E improvement. They can be viewed as potential future leaders within their organizations.

Although small committees (10 to 12 members) are normally more effec- tive than larger ones (20+), chairs and cochairs need to understand the im- portance of their role and provide clear guidance on objectives and ground

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rules. Each department in an organiza- tion should have a representative on the committee.

Charter for Committees Committees need a clearly defined

charter in order to succeed and sustain. The charter is the blueprint to suppori the purpose and mission. It also defines roles and responsibilities, and bounds the committee actions and activities. The charter facilitates the committee's operation so that every member is aware of and understands the purpose and processes. A charter can be viewed as a contract between its members, where there is an agreement on the el- ements of fhe committee and expected outcomes. The other key elements are ground rules and team empowerment. By being descriptive in each element of the charter, an organization can weave in where line operations would take ownership of their committee.

Once a charter is draffed, it should be reviewed at the first committee meet- ing. This gives members the opportunify to provide feedback. Once the final version is accepted by the committee, it is recommended that chairs/cochairs and members sign the document. Each member's signature represents his/her acceptance of fhe charter. Ideally, people designated as committee member alter- nates would attend the meeting in which the draft charter is initially reviewed.

The charter also provides an op- portunity to include milestones for continuous improvement and provides a placeholder for performance assess- ment that can be conducted annually. Finally, the charter can be viewed as the committee's mirror, so that if it gets off track, any member has the empowerment to hold out the charter for a healthy check-in with the com- mittee. Other benefits to having a charter include enhancing communica-

^ tions, buüding trust and collaboration. g It buOds alignment so members move I together in the right direction.

0 Roles & Responsibilities 1 The safefy committee should be a I constructive entify, providing guidance I and leadership in matters pertain- I ing to the company's overall SH&E I performance. Roles and responsibilities 3 provide clear direction for members

and their functional responsibilities as indicated in the charter. Every member on the committee has a role, from the chair to the minute-taker.

Although the goal is for the line to own the processes of the committee, the SH&E professional has several responsibilities on the committee. One is to communicate regulatory and compliance changes in a timely and ef- fecfively manner. There are always new regulations and new tasks that require SH&E knowledge. Obviously, line management can do standard SH&E activities on a day-to-day basis. In most circumstances, it is a responsibilify as a manager, supervisor and leader.

The role of the chairs is most vital as the committee develops. This is where line ownership is most visible at committee meetings. By showing interest in the committee activities and communicating a sense of urgency, the chairs can set the cadence for members. Chairs are also responsible for holding members accountable for action items and other activities they are assigned.

Committee Empowerment Forming an SH&E committee is

a great way to instill a sense of line ownership and a culture of safefy among employees. The SH&E com- mittee should be evident to employees and its members must be approachable for SH&E concerns and suggestions. Committee members must fimction as one and be supportive of each other. Members are more active and motivat- ed when they are empowered to make

a difference in reducing overaü risk in the workplace.

Empowerment gives members fhe initiative to take action for continuous improvement and reduce incidents. Cochairs need to provide empowered employees the appropriate time to contribute to resolving action items. Committee members will feel a sense of ownership and be more willing to participate. The most effective way to achieve this is to involve them, to give them actual responsibility in making the mechanisms and processes work (Krause, 2005). By empowering mem- bers, SH&E committees can have an enormous effect on safefy performance.

Conclusion The key ingredient for any successful

SH&E committee is communication. Without it, no committee can sustain momentum for continuous improve- ment. As we transform SH&E commit- tees to line ownership and strengthen communications from the bottom-up and top-down approach, we must uphold trust at every level. Trusting each other's intention to do the right thing and make sensible decisions for SH&E improvements is vital for success. Focusing on what is working well and discussing opportunities for a safer environment will keep leader- ship, workers and SH&E professionals engaged in a line-owned committee.

References Krause, T.R. (2005). Leading with safety.

Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Richard J. Horan Jr., M.S., CSP, is a senior safety and health specialist for PPL Electric Utilities in Allentown, PA. He has 35 years' experience working at three large corporations, mainly in the utility sector—17 years as a front-line mechanic, 16 years as a senior safety professional and 2 years as an account executive with a professional services company providing risk manage- ment solutions. Horan is Vice President of ASSE's Philadelphia Chapter and a member of AIHA. He holds an M.S. in Safety Sciences from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from Immaculata University.

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