Restructuring of the Safety Department

Due to retirement and staff changes, the safety department was restructured for the better and clear job descriptions were issued, forcing the safety personnel to be proactive advisors rather than reactive safety cops. Safety was now given a status in the organization, and the department was noted to be making a difference to the organization. 

In the past the safety officer made it his duty to ensure he was notified as soon as an injured employee arrived at the hospital. He had a contact there who would page him immediately upon a patient being admitted to emergency. He would then be the first person at the hospital and would attempt to convince the medical staff that the injured person could return to the plant. If he was successful, no reportable injury was recorded and he would then report to management that only a minor injury had taken place and there was no need for concern. 

Here I was in the hospital with a medical doctor apologizing to me for the fact that the organization had injnred Jim so badly that he could not return to work the next shift. Some organizations, safety departments, and safety personnel practically intimidate doctors into releasing patients injnred on the job back to work, in order to preserve the safety record. 

---