All About You: Put some pep into your security committee

EDITOR’S NOTE: Motivating workers to work safely is a part of the security skilled’s job. But who motivates the motivator? In this month-to-month column, veteran security professional {and professional} speaker Richard Hawk presents his entertaining model of knowledge to encourage security execs to carry out at their finest.

Unless you’re new to the security and well being occupation, you’ve most likely been a member of – and even chaired – a security and well being committee. If you might have, you realize that conserving the committee vibrant is usually difficult, particularly throughout recurrently scheduled conferences that may grow to be painfully uninteresting. Thankfully, whether or not you’re a member or the chairperson, you may add vitality and “life” to the committee in quite a lot of methods.

Show and share vitality

Before coming into a room for any assembly, I pause and take a second to mirror on the assembly and remind myself to positively affect no matter happens. Doing this facilities my consideration and, quite than leap into the room and begin reacting, I enter with intention. Then, I greet everybody with a smile and normally a optimistic remark.

I’m certain we’ve all skilled the other – somebody who walks into a gathering with a downbeat, even depressed, demeanor and drains the room of its vitality. It’s unbelievable how a lot affect somebody can have on a gaggle simply by their common perspective and emotional state. So, I vow by no means to be that individual and to all the time uplift my colleagues by means of my physique language and speech.

Encourage the committee to attempt new issues

Most security and well being committees do the identical factor at every assembly (overview the final assembly minutes, undergo the “hazard list” after which go across the room to listen to from every member). Often, attendees have little to supply as a result of there weren’t any developments for the reason that final time the committee met.

So how about this: Between conferences, have committee members have interaction in new tasks, corresponding to finishing digital or in-person surveys to search out out what workers are most inquisitive about concerning their security and well being.

One firm for which I’ve consulted requested for tips from the workforce on methods to assist kids get extra train by means of play as a substitute of being glued to their digital units.

Don’t dwell on issues

As security execs, we are likely to search for what might trigger an harm or harm. Yes, that’s a serious a part of our efforts, however a security committee ought to spend time on promotion, not simply issues. For instance, one committee created a lockout/tagout advertising and marketing marketing campaign that concerned members dressing up as a lock and greeting workers as they arrived on the plant. It was enjoyable and obtained the message out in regards to the significance of the subject in a memorable style.

Too usually, security committees spend quite a lot of time debating hazards and deficiencies within the office. If you restrict the time you spend on these issues and allot extra time to optimistic efforts, you’ll discover the committee shall be extra lively and upbeat. Plus, it would sign to everybody that security isn’t solely about avoiding incidents, but in addition about bettering high quality of life.

Have enjoyable

Not solely must you attempt to have enjoyable (energetic enjoyment), however I like to recommend you embody it from time to time in your assembly agenda. Spend a while creating methods to make your committee conferences extra gratifying. For instance, maybe you could possibly begin every session with an “ice breaker” to assist members get to know one another higher.

One security management committee I used to be a part of began every assembly with a member sharing a humorous, inspirational quote after which giving particulars about its origin and who mentioned it. We even had somebody on the committee are available in and sing a track they wrote about private protecting tools. Sure, we nonetheless handled severe issues, however these few enjoyable moments in the beginning made an enormous distinction. It put vitality into our assembly and made our time collectively extra gratifying.

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