Let me be clear here for a moment. As I write a brief series regarding workplace accountability, I will not be writing much about  the accountability to self, but that does not mean it is not important. In fact, being accountable to yourself for workplace safety ultimately means more than anything else.

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Stuart Cole via a Creative Commons license]In order to manage a risk factory like your worksite, takes several layers of accountability, besides just accountability to yourself. Front-line supervisors or foremen have some vital tasks in order to assume accountability for workplace safety.

After all, if you are not taking account for your own safety by following guidelines and protocols, using equipment properly and having proper safety equipment on at all times, then there is not much point in the rest of this. No one else can make you safe if you make the choice not to be yourself. The best safety protocols all are based on a minimum assumption of self-accountability for safety. Without tis minimum, the best procedures and plans will fail. So please, do not take these posts as some way to ignore the underlying issue and make other accountability so important – these are just made to help others provide the adequate and necesary support for you so you can stay safe above and beyond those minimal expectations.

Now, on with our regularly scheduled programming.

Supervisors: The Front Line

In most companies, there is a hierarchy, and the organizational chart starts at the bottom with the rank-and-file workers, with supervisors or foremen as the first layer of bureaucracy. Next to the workers themselves, supervisors are on the front lines, usually on the work floor with the workers, making sure productivity is up, attendance is up and observing to make sure no one is asleep at his or her desk. But supervisors also have another important function, and that is of a ground-zero safety officer, ensuring that all workers are meeting the minimum safety expectations on the work site.

If an incident occurs, the supervisor is usually one of the first people to be looked at (besides the victim, of course) in terms of noting where a potential failure occurred. While workers are often instructed to report safety risks to their supervisors as they see them, supervisors are often the ones to take the lead in these observances and reports, as well as taking on the role of overseeing the training of workers so they understand how to do their jobs safely.

As If You Don’t Have Anything Else to Do …

Yes, I know, you supervisors have a lot on your plate already, not the least of which is making sue everyone is at work, being productive and efficient to maximize return on labor investment. But yes, you are also a de facto safety officer, because a single safety officer (or small cadre of safety pros) often cannot observe every behavior of every worker during a shift. He or she relies on supervisors, as well as workers themselves, to monitor their safety to mitigate risks of incidents and injuries. And yes, supervisors, this work is important enough that you need to find a way to include it in your regular work week. And you should think of it as the top priority, because a safe workplace does improve producitivity, worker morale and ultimately saves the company money – maximizing that ROI mentioned earlier.

The Safety To-do List

Following is a list of safety-related jobs that a first-line supervisor or foreman should undertake on a regular basis, frequency to be determined by the company and by local or federal regulation. Do these faithfully, and you likely will see positive feedback on your next evaluation, no matter what else you do or don’t do.

*Hold periodic safety meetings with all workers under you. This is for review and reminders and to alert workers to any changes that are being implemented.

* When a work group meets, include safety topics on the agenda, including a recap of any issues that occurred or issues that need to be addressed, even if no incidents actually occurred.

* Inspect yourdepartment each week and write up safety work orders as required.

* Have at least five one-on-one contacts each week with your employees. Have a conversation, not a lecture, about safety concerns.

* Investigate all incidents and injuries within 24 hours of their occurrence, based on the company’s  protocols and in compliance with any local or federal rules and regulations.

* Submit a weekly safety report.

* Address at least two other tasks from the “critical activity list” (determined by the company) and report on these each week.

A good supervisor not only knows how to train workers on how to do their jobs and is there to provide support  and boost morale when needed, a good supervisor also  knows safety and makes safe workers the No. 1 priority over all else. Following these steps will get you in the right direction from being just a good supervisor to a super ‘visor.

Next up: What middle management and senior management should do to be accountable for safety.