Workforce management, Figure

Railway Inspectorate accident reports did not figure prominently as a source of information about accidents. In response to a general question about sources of information about accidents, three managers and three supervisors spontaneously referred to Railway Inspectorate reports. When more specific questions were asked about these reports the majority of staff said that they had seen copies but this was very much associated with their position in the hierarchy. Indeed there was some uncertainty amongst the workforce about whether these... 

Responses to this question are of particular interest as they give us some idea of how those in the industry constructed their notions of risk. Managers took the potential for accidents, especially fatal accidents, as their main indicator of risk. The actual accident statistics plus the degree of risk associated with the daily activities of the workforce combined to determine the comparative risk associated with the railways. Very few other respondents could articulate how they perceived risk. Their main criterion was accidents, in particular the potential risk of injury and especially fatalities. Some mentioned accident statistics or insurance ratings but only to the extent that they thought that the railways figured quite high in these but not at the very top ... 

It goes without saying that unless there are consequences for not performing in a safe and healthy manner yon cannot expect supervisors, workers, or even managers to adhere to your intent to have a workplace free from hazards that can cause injury or make your workforce sick. To ensure that you get the safety and health performance that you desire, you need to have a safety and health discipline policy that you strictly enforce (see Figure 2.4). Failure to enforce it in an even-handed and constant manner will result in the failure of your safety and health effort. Some companies place another step in their discipline policy, which results in time off without pay for a certain number of days followed by dismissal on the next offense. 

The chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the weakest link in any organization can vary. The workforce at any particular place of business is different. Your company may have the best-equipped and most dedicated hourly assembly-line team member workforce in the world. Possibly the company you work for may boast of the skill and ability of your front-line supervisors and middle management. Or your company may have the most highly touted chief executive that every Fortune 500 company is begging to lure away. I believe that it is truly difficult to say what group is the most important link in the safety chain, but it depends (see Figure 9-1). 

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