Safety Requires Clear Leadership
To build a successful safety culture you need teamwork. However, while the old axiom “safety is everybody’s business” will garner no argument from us, teams do not perform unless there is clear leadership. Everyone assumes that whatever needs done is someone else’s responsibility. If you truly want the team to succeed, you need an individual who is in charge of action items and facilitates change. A “safety coordinator.”
There are several instances of this position being filled by a GM or high-level executive. Involvement by senior management is key to a positive safety culture, so if this approach works for your dealership stick with it. However, in order to make the safety coordinator as effective as possible, many dealerships have decided to fill the position with someone who works closely with the employees on the shop floor.
Some examples of successful employees who serve as safety coordinators are:
- Service managers
- Shop foremen
- Body shop managers
- HR managers
This position is responsible for addressing the safety culture and leading the charge on coordinating meetings, deadlines and action items, and making sure people are assigned and accountable for positive results. In short, their job is to make safety “everybody’s business.”
As we stated above, there are several effective approaches to this position. (quote from Dave Craig)
If you need help implementing a successful safety culture contact info@kpaonline.com or your KPA engineer.