When managers have the tools to consistently demonstrate their commitment to safety, mill safety programs can be much more effective. Understanding the difference between management and leadership is the key. In the hundreds of safety program evaluations we have conducted over many years, we have found that employees and safety professionals alike often point to "management commitment" as a significant weakness or barrier to safety improvement. In some cases, the values and motivation of top executives are questioned. In other situations, hourly employees and top managers agree that the "problem" lies in the middle, with first line supervisors and the next levels of management. Top managers are often frustrated at their seeming inability to get the message across, that their own personal commitment to safety does not seem to influence what happens on the front line.
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