The Safety Committe

...The safety committee should not contain more than 20 peoples. The meeting should already fix and strategic agenda, so it will not take a long time...

When program is running, you as safety engineer are not the only one who responsible to the whole projects. There are some peoples who also dealing with this issue, even though they are not directly in charge in daily operational/ implementation. Those persons will coordinate and support safety program in their each department. Some of them are management representative, and the other are come from worker side. This team named safety committee. They have regular meeting. It's used to be monthly bases.

The safety committee is non structural, but functional organization. This committee will give recommendation and advise to the management regarding the safety aspect to achieve the highest productivity by reduction lost because of negative effect from poor safety management such as high frequency of accident, incident, fire, absenteeism, health problem, etc. The safety committee should not contain more than 20 peoples. The meeting should already fix and strategic agenda, so it will not take a long time. It is important to be concerned because some of the safety committee's component are structurally important in the company such as President Director or General manager as Safety committee chief.

The top management need to be included in this top organization because some recommendation from this committee are urgently need to be considered by decision maker of the company. While the safety engineer will acts as secretary.

Hazard Elimination, is It Achievable Target?

...the hazard and potential hazard will always exist out there...

As Safety Engineer, we have responsibility to prevent any accidents and losses that may happen in our plant. We are the person whom believed capable to control the hazard. In other side, as a normal human, do you believe that by our limitation is it possible to stop the hazard just like what we (or our company) want?.

To manage the potential loss(es) cause such as hazard and potential hazard is our job. It is off course possible to do. That is an achievable target. But, it is different with stop or eliminate the hazard or potential hazard. I told you, you will off course control the hazard by doing adequate hazard management programs. And reducing the risk level of accident and loss(es) that may happen. But remember, the hazard and potential hazard will always exist out there. That is way I say, Hazard is impossible to be eliminate. What we can do is control, a maximum effort is reducing the accident and loss risk. Because there is exact formula for us, wherever workplace exist, the hazard and potential hazard will always follow to appear there (workplace = human + tools + material = Output + Process + hazard).

After Taking 3 Steps of Hazard Management, Is Your Workplace Free From Hazard?

...There is no workplace that 100% free from hazard source. So, what should we do is maximize the effectiveness of hazard management...

Absolutely NO!. Those 3 Steps of Hazard Management Control is not tools to stop and eliminate the hazards.

You may reduce or isolate the hazard in order not to expose the worker. But it will never eliminate the hazard it self as long as the source is still exist. As far as I know, There is no workplace that 100% free from hazard source. So, what should we do is maximize the effectiveness of hazard management. From the first step, engineering control, administrative control and the last one,...using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). But Remember (again), those 3 steps is not eliminate the hazard(s) and its source. But only isolate in order not to reach you and your worker.

(Safety) Program Evaluation

...this corrective action that resulted from checking and evaluation step will very useful for you to catalyst your program get the end of its destination, the better safety performance...

As safety engineer, you need to control the running program by conduct scheduled checking and monitoring. This will give you the valid description about the challenges and difficulties that may happen. This will also test effectiveness of the technique and strategy that being used. By knowing this, you will able to find corrective action after you evaluate those condition with your team.

The perfect formula will found and will make all the team achieve the target easier. And the most important one is, potential conflict that may happen between the people in different interest will much reduced. No doubt, this corrective action that resulted from checking and evaluation step will very useful for you to catalyst your program get the end of its destination, the better safety performance. But this is not the end of the process. Because safety will always request a continuous improvement. safer day by day.

Do not forget, beside doing personal review and evaluation you need to include your safety committee to participate in monthly or other regular formal management review.

Note: Picture Taken from www.library.uiuc.edu

After The Management Agree

Prefer single fighter or team work?

After we got approval from the management regarding the program we launched, the safety engineer need to ensure the program is well socialized and has responsible person (person in charge). This is important because safety engineer is an ordinary human. They have limitation. It’s Means that they can not make it by work alone. They need support. Not just because they need other resources from the organization, but also because safety is everybody’s business. Delegate this responsible to appropriate person in whole of organization is a must.

Sale The (Safety) Program

...The other important step is providing those information to the management properly, interested and persuasive way. Always give the reason why they should take the program...

May be you are the master in safety. Knowing what the company need to reduce the accident frequency or even stop the accident effectively. Then you launch the program, contain of some actions that need to be taken. For your information, just because of you, as safety engineer think that some actions need to be taken based on risk assessment you applied, it doesn't mean that the management will have the same opinion about this. They may have another consideration, regarding the level of urgency and the effectiveness of the program. So, never think that your job is finish after you conduct the safety risk assessment, have the result, evaluate then make related programs.

The other important step is providing those information to the management properly, interested and persuasive way. Always give the reason why they should take the program. Give the primary reason, why the program so important and so beneficial for the company. Use cost and benefit analysis, prepare the valid data or statistic. You need to speak with them by the same language. If you can make it, your program(s) will be easily accepted. Have a nice try!