As we navigate today’s new regulatory world, we need to develop a mindset that focuses on using compliance as a baseline for safety. The regulatory world is shifting at the local, state and federal levels.

While I am not necessarily advocating for more regulation in the safety arena, I want to encourage safety leaders to not lose their focus on safety. 

It is all too easy to become complacent when the threat of enforcement is not as great as it used to be. Let’s face it, we have been bombarded with regulations over the years, and spending all of our time reacting to potential work practice changes has taken its toll. 

Stay vigilant

We may look at this as a welcome opportunity to step back and breathe. Don’t do it! Now is the time to be more vigilant than ever when it comes to safety in the workplace. Remember, OSHA rules are the minimum safety requirements. Just because you are in compliance does not mean you should take your focus off of safety. 

For example, let’s look at the requirement to have a briefing before work begins. Most of us have set up systems, either by hard copy or electronically, that gives us the ability to “check off” the required specifics of a job. When that is completed, we file it away and say we are in compliance. 

But do we take that particular job briefing and delve into it a bit further? Do we look at the specific job and try to visualize the work? Do we anticipate any potential road blocks that may prevent success? Do we solicit input from the work crew as to the procedure and physical environment that we are in? 

These are all factors that should be considered when doing a job briefing. Don’t just check the box to record compliance.

Avoid complacency

As a safety professional with more than 40 years of experience in various industries, I have seen firsthand the pitfalls of compliance versus safety. We need to take our actions to another level. 

We can measure our leadership by what we do in times of inactivity in the compliance world. OSHA is facing cutbacks in budget and personnel in addition to a push by states and others for less regulation. That does not mean we stop leading in safety. We have the ways, means and opportunity to continue to provide that safe environment for all workers, as General Duty clause section 5(a)1 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 states in greater detail. 

While 5(a)1 is primarily used when there isn’t a specific rule governed by OSHA, we have seen it used as a catchall when enforcement rises. Don’t fall into the complacency trap!

Keep up the focus

What I’m really advocating for here is for safety leaders to continue to do what they have been doing for years. Lead through your actions, use engagement with employees to improve work practices and solicit upper management support to champion safety in your organization. 

Don’t take a back seat to compliance inactivity. Continue to focus on keeping your employees—your most valuable resource—free from potential harm.

As electrical workers, be it inside or outside professionals, we work in an environment that can, at any given time, take a life away in less than a blink of an eye. We must continue to be diligent as safety leaders to ensure that the focus of safety remains the No. 1 priority of all individuals in the workplace, from top to bottom. We obviously can’t do it alone, but by continuing our focus on safety leadership, we can set the path for others to follow and protect workers.

We are outstanding safety leaders and, regardless of the regulatory environment, we remain the “igniter” of the focus. Let’s send people home the same way they came to work. Keep up the good work!

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