Often in small to medium companies the ownership sometimes judges that it is not economical to have a professional Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Professional on their staff. Someone must be responsible for Health and Safety so often it falls to someone in Engineering, Human Resources, or Operations. Typically, these people have no to little education, training, or experience in EHS. Often these people do not understand what OSHA, or any other agencies, requires with regards to employee safety.
This is all something I can relate too, as I was also once brought into an office and unexpectedly told I was the “Safety Guy.” At the time I too had little education and training on how to keep anyone safe. Over many years I have learned a great deal on what it takes to give employees the tools to keep themselves safe and healthy. I very much enjoy mentoring these new ‘Safety Coordinators.”
Now in private practice, I often get calls from someone placed in the safety role and is requesting assistance. I have a unique skill set, based on my experience, training, and education. Where I start is often with a visit and tour. My current model is to do what I call a Gap Assessment. A Gap Assessment is an assessment of where and organization is and then looking at where they want to go. I would come into the organization, with an extensive plant tour and desk audit of training, policies, and procedures. Next, I interview key management personal to get their vision of what they want to see in their Health & Safety Program. I compare the Current State of the organization to the basic requirements of OSHA Compliance and add finally add the vision of management to prepare the Future State. I then make a presentation to management of my recommendations to achieve the Future State. Often the Gap Assessment serves as a catalyst for a continuing relationship between the organization and myself. Starting with my recommendations on the Gap Assessment I often become their consultant on an on-going basis and mentor the Safety Coordinator to build their Safety Culture. This entire technique is related to what I learned and practiced from my Lean Manufacturing training and practice; a process called Value Stream Mapping.
Sometimes an EHS Professional will call me in for a Gap Assessment just for and extra set of fresh eyes. I am always finding these rewarding experiences. If you think that a Gap Assessment or my mentoring is something you would like to explore, please contact me!
On this site or at 920-901-8860
