The general management literature suggests that the key difference between leaders and managers is that:
“Managers are people who do things right and leaders are people who do the right things” and that the: “unique and essential function of leadership is the manipulation of culture.”
If leadership is viewed as a process rather than an innate personal quality, the key requirements for a leader are to:
Directors Role: Doing the Right Things
HSE research has shown that: “Directors exert a fundamental influence over standards of health and safety management and levels of health and safety performance.” The research also estimated that effective board leadership can deliver a 5 –10% reduction in workplace accidents and ill-health.
In light of the difficulties of prosecuting directors for health and safety offences under section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act (consent, connivance, neglect) there has been much debate over the need to introduce proactive duties for directors to lead health and safety management. The debate is ongoing.
There is joint guidance (INDG417) from the HSE and Institute of Directors (IoD) on leading health and safety at work which advocates strong and active leadership from the top by
Managers Role: Doing Things Right
Middle managers provide the connection between strategic apex and operating core of an organisation. For managers to be able to do things right, and to become committed to the organisation’s health and safety objectives an effective infrastructure has to be in place:
Senior Management commitment
Management commitment should be demonstrated by the proportion of resources (time, money, and people) and support allocated to health and safety management and by the relative status of health and safety against other business priorities such as production, cost etc. The active involvement of senior management in the health and safety system is very important.
Visibility
Managers should lead by example when it comes to health and safety. Good managers appear regularly on the ‘shop floor’, talk about health and safety and visibly demonstrate their commitment by their actions – wearing PPE, following safety rules, where appropriate putting health and safety concerns over commercial considerations.
Copyright © 2019 Stockwell Associates. All rights reserved.
About Us |
Policies