Communication superior safety

Formal methods of operation and strict hierarchies can limit communication. When information is passed up hierarchies, it may be distorted, depending on the interests of managers and the way they interpret the information. Concerns about safety may even be completely silenced as it passes up the chain of command. Employees may not feel comfortable going around a superior who does not respond to their concerns. The result may be a misperception of risk, leading to inadequate control actions to enforce the safety constraints. 

Expectations of supervisors, by their superiors and by society in general, have unfortunately become complex and difficult to attain—which means that supervisors must have a sound support stracture to be successful. That support stmcture begins with the location manager and the staff iirnnediately subordinate to the manager. It includes depth of training, a good communication system on hazards, up and down, and the resources of qualified safety professionals as consultants. 

An award presented each year by the National Safety Council (NSC) since 1999. It recognizes organizations and their leaders for outstanding achievements in safety and health, community service, and responsible citizenship. To be considered for the medal, an organization and its leadership must demonstrate a superior record in advancing safety and health practices consistent with the mission of the National Safety Council. 

Effective leadership, training,communication, persuasion, behavior modification, and discipline are vital aspects of safety management, without which superior results cannot be achieved. 

Far greater use is being made of incident investigation teams in the superior performers. Safety professionals say that the time spent by those teams is a worthwhile investment since the activity communicates management s intent to avoid hazards-related incidents. Over time, large numbers of personnel are involved. 

The sense of responsibility is strongly influenced by perceptions of the safety climate, which also affect the dimensions of upward communication and approaching others. Relations with superiors and other team members as well as the sense of fair treatment by the organization and superiors all affect whether team members are likely to raise their concerns regarding patient safety. 

The upward communication dimension deals with team members raising safety issues with superiors—often, these concerns consist of systems issues. In a healthy safety climate, treatment team members also speak up to one another about ways to reduce exposure (the upward communication dimension), even about the exposures they see each other creating. The more that team members are involved in hazard identification and willing to speak up about exposures, the safer the working interface becomes. 

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