As we are in the last month of the year 2015 (already!), this is usually a good time for many people and companies to look over the past year and start to look ahead to the new year and make either resolutions or to at least address possible changes to the way things have been done and find new ways to do business.

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Heidi via a Creative Commons license]

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Heidi via a Creative Commons license]

Sometimes, this is also a good time for people to look at trends or what might be under the radar but will be foremost in attention moving forward, to generate  motivation to be prepared to ride the front of the wave before it crests.

Understanding the trends and recognizing the signs of a coming wave is a tough skill, but one that ASSE President Michael Belcher tries to develop as the head of a large safety-officer organization. In the November 2015 issue of Professional Safety magazine, Belcher put forth a letter to all safety officers mentioning five trends he sees in occupational health and safety that should be of concern and we safety officers will need to be aware in the next couple of years.

In no particular order of importance, here are the five trends that Belcher sees for the future:

  1. Prevention through Design (PTD). This is not necessarily a new concept, bu it has definitely been gaining traction of late, as research has shown that this reduces workplace injuries and fatalities. The idea is to incorporate risk-mitigation in the design process of any construction by addressing as many of the most common risks as possible before any concrete is poured or steel is erected. Research has consistently shown that when these design elements are implemented, incident risks are greatly reduced, thus the risk for injjury is reduced and most without needing any additional safety efforts.
  2. A Landmark Standard. We all know that regulations are on paper and they don’t actually change or control behavior. It usually takes a system or protocol of actions and behaviors that effect the necessary measures to ensure safety. What is coming sometime in 2017 is a management-system standard that will be considered the result of the most collaborative effort internationally. Known as ISO 45001, this standard will set the table for international safety cooperation to positively impact safety in all workplaces around the world. With more than 70 countries participating or observing the process, this can become the benchmark for safety management.
  3. Profession Gone Global. There are safety professionals all around the world, but not every country has a certification process by which all practitioners can be considered at the same level of knowledge and skill.  An initiative is under way to create a professional model based on competency so that professionals aren’t considered second-rate based on geography. As long as you have a level of competence in your profession, you can be a peer without having additional letters after your name.
  4. Big Picture Value. The value of a company for investors is not just measured by capital and assets. Many investors are now looking deeper, including analyzing risk-management resources – because many savvy investors know that companies which have high incident rates will have a lot of expenses related to it, which of course affects the bottom line and overall profit expectations.
  5. Assessment, Not Enforcement. Being a safety officer is not just about making sure there is compliance with regulations and protocols, but it has evolved into being a big-picture assessor. Understanding all of the risks and taking steps to mitigate before it’s necessary to play “cop” is the language that the C-suite and investors understand and appreciate.