Safety Excellence

June 29 2020
By: Terry L. Mathis

During and after my virtual speech at ASSP's convention last week, I received a considerable number of responses and emails stating that attendees had not previously realized they were simply doing basic safety and not really striving for excellence. Many were wishing for excellence but believed that simply doing the basic things better would get them there. They got excited when they began to see how the tools of excellence could take their efforts to new levels.

Safety Excellence If you are wondering where you are in your safety efforts, ask yourself what percent of your efforts are addressing the hierarchy of controls. This is the backbone of traditional safety, but is also one of the limitations that keep basic safety from excellence. Safety excellence goes above and beyond control, which is the basis of the hierarchy. Excellence is comprised of a set of four elements and the metrics associated with them. Using these in the right ways and proportions has been the formula that has taken our highest-performing clients to true excellence in safety performance.

If you are wondering if these could help you, ask two questions:

  1. Can you obey all the rules, follow all the procedures, wear all required PPE and still get injured? (This means there is a gap between basic safety and excellence)
  2. What part of our safety effort truly excels?
    (If you don't have an answer you need to find one!)


Terry L. Mathis

Terry Mathis, Founder and retired CEO of ProAct Safety, has served as a consultant and advisor for top organizations the world over. A respected strategist and thought leader, Terry has authored five books, numerous articles, videos and blogs, and is known for his dynamic and engaging presentations. EHS Today has named him one of the '50 People Who Most Influenced EHS' four consecutive times. Business leaders and safety professionals seek Terry's practical insight and unique ability to introduce new perspectives that lead to real change.





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