Achieving World Class Safety Performance

January 26, 2013 No Comments

These days, we hear the terms “world class safety performance” used allot.  But what does this phrase really mean and how does one achieve it?

Back in the 1990’s I worked directly with Dr Dan Petersen on a book project.  As you probably already know, Dan was: an icon of the safety management movement, had written 18 books on safety management, and had helped dozens of giant corporations achieve world class safety performance.  Here’s what Dr. Petersen told me were his “criteria for safety success” –

“When you look at the research; when you examine companies with world-class safety records; and when you look at companies that have made real step-change improvement; you can identify elements that are present that other companies do not have.  While each company will do their safety system differently, they all seem to have certain things in place, they all:

1.  Have top managers who visibly demonstrate that safety is a high                priority.

2.  Actively involve middle management.

3.  Make sure that supervisors do something about safety regularly.  It is an          integral part of their daily activities.

4.  Get the active participation of the workforce.

5.  Are perceived by their people positively.”

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