WITH EVEN THE
most confident of
safety advisers falling into common
traps of the profession, respected health
and safety trainer at SAI Global, Paul
Brabender, has some sage advice based
on his own experiences.
BE PERSONABLE AND ENGAGING
The importance of a capable safety
adviser cannot be underestimated,
especially on a risk-riddled resource
project site, but Brabender explains that
unless an effort is made to engage with,
and respect the knowledge of employees,
it will be an uphill battle.
“Nothing isolates a safety adviser more
than an inability to engage the workforce.
Talking down to people who actually
know more about the business than you
do creates bad feelings and undermines
your credibility,” he says.
“It is also less likely that people will
trust you on those occasions when they
really should.”
While a safety adviser must always
be looking for potential problems,
giving positive feedback can help build
collaborative relationships in the workplace.
“A switched on safety adviser is also
switched on to the great things that are
happening right in front of them and is not
shy in letting workers know what they are
already doing successfully,”Brabender says.
“Pay attention to what you are being
told, follow up on your commitments
and work on making your contribution to
the workplace chock full of preventative
actions rather than corrective ones.”
BUILD A SAFETY CULTURE
THAT FITS THE WORKPLACE
One of the biggest mistakes Brabender
sees safety advisers make is not integrating
safety rules with business goals.
And if that doesn’t work, it’s time to
CAREER HAZARDS
of a safety adviser
In the 20 years he has spent as a training and safety professional, Paul Brabender
has seen it all when it comes to the performance of workplace safety advisers.
think outside the square.
“If sound reasoning and impeccable
logic are inexplicably failing to change
someone’s safe behaviour, the safety
adviser should investigate further to find
out why that is,” Brabender says.
“It could be a non-compliant manager
instructing a task to be done a certain way
or unrealistic time pressures. Or perhaps
there is a more safe and efficient way.”
Although it is important to work with
managers and employees, Brabender says
a good safety adviser will not perform all
safety duties on behalf of others.
“The safety manager who chairs all
safety committees, writes all toolbox
talks and completes all the safety
inspections is probably ensuring their
long term employment, but this will
not develop a safety culture in the
workplace,” he says.
REMEMBER THAT
CREDIBILITY IS EVERYTHING
Brabender believes safety advisers
should feel confident that managers are
committed to improving health and safety,
otherwise the role is not worth taking.
Once in a company, he says advisers have
a responsibility to ‘walk the walk’.
“I once witnessed a safety adviser
implore a large group of workers to
report all incidences for investigation.
The meeting became embarrassing when
three workers asked what had been done
about the incidents they had already
reported and subsequently heard nothing
about,” he notes.
As a final piece of advice, Brabender
believes safety professionals who create
more work for themselves will inevitably
fail to build a safe workplace.
“Think about whether daily administrative
activities are actually beneficial or if they can
be streamlined,” he says.
“You will spend less time on corrective
actions and more time implementing safer
work systems by harnessing those with
the greatest stake in workplace health and
safety – the workforce.”
RP
SUMMER 2014-15 RESOURCE
PEOPLE
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OHS & WELLBEING
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