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05/01/2007
Safety & Education Committee Update
The Company Safety Officer - Getting What You Pay For
It wasn’t all that long ago that the company safety officer was an employee who may have been with the company for a period of time, usually showed up for work, and seemed to get along pretty well with the rest of the workers. He or she was given a few extra coins each month, and had the designation of “safety officer”.
Thank goodness those days have passed!
Today, the tower erection industry is quickly becoming a recognized leader in establishing safety programs, and programs designed to send everyone home safely at the end of each day. Companies large and small are appointing safety officers, and assuring that the safety officer has the training and education to qualify him or her for the position.
Still, there are many ideas on what makes a person qualified to be a safety officer. Is it a college degree? A list of certifications a mile long? Years of experience?
In selecting a company safety officer, let’s look at some of the responsibilities that should accompany the position. Typically, the overall function of the position is to direct the staff and operations in the safety, health and compliance program, as well as to administer comprehensive safety programs throughout the organization. The role of the safety officer is to provide direction, advice, and counsel. Depending on the size of the organization and the corporate structure, the safety officer may or may not have enforcement authority and the authority to impose disciplinary actions for violations.
That being said, the next step is to identify some of the specific accountabilities for the safety officer. These may include:
• Defining and managing required safety, health, and regulatory compliance programs and establishing corresponding personnel and resource requirements;
• Training and developing staff in safe work practices, and engineering controls designed to minimize the risk of an accident;
• Establishing safety goals and priorities;
• Assessing safety compliance and providing feedback to company leadership;
• Performing ongoing evaluations of existing safety management programs and causes improvements or modifications as needed;
• Developing training programs for each position within the organization; assuring that workers are meeting minimum training requirements estab-lished by company policy or industry standards;
• Participating in short- and long-term safety planning; promulgates safety policies, and developing specific program strategies and goals which can be integrated into company goals;
• Developing and managing a safety budget that includes training, equipment, and inspections;
• Remaining current on existing and pending legislation to ensure overall compliance with regulatory requirements; and
• Providing company officers with timely information reporting, as required.
Obviously, the company safety officer is a critical position. More and more, tower companies are seeking a safety officer who has a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in a safety or related field, as well as past experience in safety program management and administration. But even with these credentials, what are some of the other skills and attributes that a safety officer should bring to the table? Typically, the safety officer will need a variety of personal skills to be effective. These include:
• Analysis;
• Assessment and evaluation;
• Budget development;
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills;
• Program conceptualization and design;
• Conflict resolution skills;
• Investigation skills;
• Managerial skills;
• Networking;
• Personal organization;
• Planning;
• Problem identification and resolution;
• Public relations;
• Research;
• Staff development skills; and
• Teaching and training.
The above skills and attributes are meant to describe the general nature and level of the duties and requirements of the company safety officer. They should not be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities and skills. Each company is unique, and the role of the company safety officer must be tailored to the company. By the same token, as this industry continues to develop and progress in the safety management arena, more and more responsibility will be placed on the company safety officer, and it is inherent that the company fill the position with a qualified professional and provide the resources and support to enable the company safety officer to be effective.
Steve Wilder is a member of the NATE Safety & Education Subcommittee and is Vice President of Training and Development for CITCA, the Communications Industry Training and Certification Academy in Bradley, Illinois. Steve can be reached at 800-313-5159 or at swilder@citca4training.com.
Steve Wilder
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