Why Honda manager thinks 'half of safety is public relations'
Safety leaders can help their companies gain a competitive advantage by leveraging a safety culture to retain workers during a skilled-labour shortage. One of the ways to do that is by viewing safety through a communications and public relations lens.
“Half of safety is public relations,” says Angie Trumpler, the corporate construction project leader and construction safety specialist at Honda of Canada Mfg.
“It's all about how transparent you are, how strong you are as a leader, and how in tune you are with your work environment.”
More than 4,200 people work at the Honda property in Alliston, Ontario, which includes three plants on 890 acres and encompasses approximately four million square feet. Communicating safety messages and monitoring how well they have been received is a constant challenge for Trumpler.
Engaging the front line workers
She says one of the starting points is building relationships with members of the joint health and safety committees. Trumpler says it’s critical these safety representatives among the workforce carry out their duties with the seriousness it deserves.
“If they're not walking the walk and talking the talk and taking their responsibility seriously, then that kind of mocks your program,” explains Trumpler. She says that reflects negatively on your safety program and on you as a safety leader. “You're not in tune with your workers and you are obviously not listening to what your committee is giving back to you as feedback.”
Trumpler uses the example of routine checks and audits of safety tools, such as an eyewash station, and whether it sprays out clear water or rust coloured water can have a huge impact on the company’s internal safety image. “A simple thing like not having that device audited every month, is a very negative PR reaction.”
Connecting with management
Trumpler believes it is equally important to engage with middle and upper management. “I find that safety leaders are hesitant to actually network with the management,” says Trumpler. Aside from the positive career advancement opportunities that come with networking, there are also significant safety benefits from establishing strong bonds with management.
In disaster and crisis situations, management teams need to know how to respond, and feel confident the existing procedures will get the them and their teams through it. “Do you have the procedures in place to ensure that if anything disastrous was to happen, that they feel well armed on the safety side?” asks Trumpler.
In addition to supporting management in their roles, safety leaders also act as a conduit of information between frontline workers and the upper echelons of the business. Trumpler says when both sides feel more connected and heard the overall attitude in the workplace improves.
“People become far more proactive. They know that someone is taking their concerns seriously. They feel like they have a voice. They feel like management is being transparent with them. And they know when they have a legitimate concern, or even if it's not, either way, they're going to get feedback.”
The message is in the medium
There are various ways to create these connections Trumpler believes are critical to creating a successful safety culture. “It's all communication, so you better have a good means on how to communicate your information.”
Depending on the size of the operation, the communication options might be different, but just about every business has access to various forms of information sharing devices. Trumpler suggests closed captions TVs in the lunch room, news flyers, tray liners in the cafeteria, banners, and posters as all simple devices that can be used to communicate safety messages.
“The big thing is the communication and the PR side,” says Trumpler, because it’s great to create policies, procedures, and strong safety systems, “but how are people knowing about them?”
Trumpler will be discussing this topic and how it can used as a competitive advantage at the Women in Safety Summit in March.
I imagine she will make the point that when people feel connected to their workplace, they’re more likely to stick around a while. And when skilled labour is hard to find, keeping the people you have might be one your biggest advantages.
