We can probably all agree that workplace safety is of paramount importance in the manufacturing and construction industries nowadays. It’s more critical than ever to have employees working in health and safety to help ensure that everybody is safe while on the job. After all, monitoring and managing the safety of an entire company is no easy task, nor is it something that should be taken lightly.
Of course, not just anybody can succeed in the job of safety czar or safety liaison. Anybody that is exclusively working in health and safety needs to have a particular skill set. Otherwise, they won’t be effective in that role and workplace health and safety will suffer. If you’re a company hiring for a position like this, here are some of the skills and traits you should be looking for in candidates.
Personable
Most of the time, working in health and safety comes down to developing strong relationships with your co-workers. It helps to be well-liked, but it’s more important to be well-respected. The job requires being able to listen to others and understand their concerns. At the same time, safety czars also have to be persuasive at times. They need to be able to convince employees to go along with new safety protocols and ensure that everybody is on the same page.
Creative
Jobs that revolve around workplace health and safety are all about creative problem-solving. Obviously, identifying safety hazards is also important. But it’s equally important to find creative ways of solving safety problems without sacrificing efficiency. A lot of people in this field also have to respond to the traditional ways of doing things and find more modern and innovative ways to get things done in a safe way.
Detail-Oriented
This characteristic should be obvious for those working in health and safety, but it’s too important not to mention. When it comes to creating a safe workplace, the devil is always in the details. Employees need to be able to spot small hazards before they become serious problems. They also need to be able to implement new safety policies while paying attention to all of the tiny details.
Tough and Resilient
This kind of work is not for the faint of heart. There will always be obstacles to overcome for those working in health and safety. It could be obstinate co-workers who don’t want to change their ways or problems that don’t have an easy solution. Employees need to be amenable and flexible to a certain extent. But they also have to find ways to persevere through difficult challenges. It’s important to keep in mind that if the job isn’t done right, there could be serious consequences, which is why resiliency is a job requirement.
Tech Savvy
In a modern world, working in health and safety requires modern tech skills. Depending on the specific industry, they need to have technical knowledge of each and every job performed at a company. They also need to understand how to utilize safety equipment for each individual job. There’s a lot of know-how required, not to mention a willingness to learn new skills and information.
Of course, companies that are serious about health and safety nowadays usually have safety management software. This requires any safety czar to be computer literate so they can manage that software in the most efficient way possible. Fortunately, safety management systems like the one offered by EHS Insight is user friendly and assists safety managers to communicate with workers on the frontline.
If your company still isn’t up to speed with a safety management system, get in touch. We’ll be glad to show you all of the ways that EHS Insight can help improve your approach to safety company-wide.
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