Developing, Implementing and Measuring a Safety and Health Business Plan

This year has been the most difficult time for safety professionals that I have seen in a long time. Companies have been merging in greater numbers than they did in the 1970s and 80s. The difference this time around is the mergers are taking on a global direction and focus. Now the scary news. By 2050 China will take over as the world's leading industrial country. Manufacturing in the US will most likely involve companies of 100 or less employees. The majority of industries at this time in the US will be service related. The mergers will require safety professionals to be flexible; we must make a difference, we must be a part of every business decision, we must measure success, and we must set company safety and health standards globally, we must set performance standards and blend cultures.

Safety departments of one company are merging with the other company and they are not all being kept. In some cases total safety departments are being removed. This slide shows a sad but often true perspective of the value of safety, in that when profits are down and companies look for areas to reduce expenses, they look at areas they consider incidental to operations. When I see this happen I cannot help but feel that our profession has failed. I do not mean the individuals ho have lost their jobs; I mean the total safety and health profession.

We have won a number of very important battles for the safety profession. For the most part we are seen as the main resource for managing and handling regulatory safety, health and nvironmental aspects. We are also often seen as the main resource for managing and controlling worker's compensation cost. We should be proud of this accomplishment.

However are we seen as a business function within our company? Are we involved in major business decisions our companies must make? If the answer is no, we need to understand why.