October 02 2023
By: Shawn M. Galloway
Visiting a family member who works in a major construction trade, he shared a recent communication from their safety department. The message aimed to bring attention to slips, trips, and falls. It included a statement "Falling downstairs produces more severe injuries than falling on flat surfaces." He asked me, "Do they think we are idiots?"
I have a friend on the financial leadership team of a major oil and gas company who continues to demonstrate dedication to pursuing safety excellence. He is bought into the safety culture. He carries practices to his personal life, including practicing safety behaviors at home. 
He happily attended when a major reorganization and teambuilding exercise of bowling was scheduled. As they were greeting old and new colleagues, he was told by the leader, "Before you pick out your bowling ball, please fill out this Job Safety Analysis (JSA) form," immediately disengaging someone who was actively engaged and felt a sense of ownership for requested safety practices. Safety must be strategic. This means two things:
- Ensure what you are focusing on is the most important area of focus for preventing injuries (frequency and severity). Data should drive these decisions, and opinions relied on as a last resort.
- Ensure the perception of value is created with the areas of focus. If we disengage, demotivate, distract, or create distrust with our safety improvement efforts, you end up with a 'have-to' culture at best.
How strategically focused are your efforts? What data validates this? Do you have a culture of have-to or want-to? This is much easier to ascertain than many leaders realize. How in touch with reality are your safety improvement efforts?
"To add value to others, one must first value others." — John C. Maxwell
"I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." — Ernest Hemingway
"Until you understand your customers — deeply and genuinely — you cannot truly serve them." — Rasheed Ogunlaru
Shawn Galloway, CEO of ProAct Safety, is an expert in safety excellence. With almost thirty years of experience, he is a highly sought-after advisor, keynote speaker, and expert witness. Shawn has become a trusted partner to leading organizations across various industries worldwide. He ranks in the top 1% of the most prolific writers in his field, having authored over 500 articles and several bestselling books. He also launched the world's first safety podcast, Safety Culture Excellence©. As a recognized authority in safety, Shawn has received awards such as being named among the Top 50 People Who Most Influence EHS and a Top 10 Speaker, among others.
He is a regular guest on Bloomberg, Fox News, The Daily Mail, Dubai One, U.S. News & World Report, Sirius Business Radio, Wharton Business Daily, and leading safety magazines and podcasts. Shawn also serves as a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, Forbes Business Council, and Fast Company Executive Board, enabling his influence to shape safety thinking and strategy at the executive level.
