November 2009 Management Minute
by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist
Last month we discussed training the newly hired employee, first and foremost, on the Culture of Safety in your workplace. We stressed that unless all employees feel that the employer cares about their safety, safe practices will not become routine. The problem comes for the small business when trying to establish a safety program and standard operating procedures which emphasize safe practices. That is, everyone in the organization already has a great deal of responsibilities and there usually is not a person dedicated to human resources-related issues such the safety program.
As we all know, we can’t manage what we don’t measure. Contact the Kansas Department of Human Resources and the Kansas Department of Labor to find out where you rank in terms of injury accidents compared to other organizations in your industry. Depending on your accident record, you may need to focus on certain areas more than others in your operation.
After determining what safety areas on which to focus, you may ask for input from each of your employees (or those you most trust) on safety tips within each area of the organization. These suggestions can be typed up, compiled into a binder, and updated and expanded regularly.
A possibly unlikely, but potentially, invaluable partner in your safety program should by your workers’ compensation insurance provider. It is in their best interest to help you remain accident-free—they should be eager to help. They know where the pitfalls are and where to focus your energies and efforts. They know where safety problems lie in your industry and related industries, and they have experience in building safety programs and providing safety training.
Above all, get a program in place. Get started, get advice from experts, and keep getting better.
For more information, contact Chris at 785-532-1672 or cdr3@ksu.edu.
