Despite our best intentions, safety professionals focus sharply on compliance. Our attention locks on the hundreds of regulatory pages promulgated by OSHA, DOT, EPA, etc., as we decipher the necessary steps to stay out of trouble.
This approach gets the job done, but we silo ourselves. We are so consumed by the task of avoiding citations, complaints and costly fines that we don’t consider a bigger picture: is a physically fit employee a safer employee? Is a calm employee a safer employee? Is an employee actively working on a promotion a safer employee? Is an employee who communicates well a safer employee? Is an employee who feels a sense of camaraderie a safer employee?