During the Tuesday general session at ASSE's Safety 2014, the Society recognized several safety professionals for their contributions to the field today, But it was Gary Barnett’s comments that caught my attention and gave me pause to think. Gary, who is from ASSE's New Jersey Chapter, was honored as a Society Fellow, which recognizes a lifetime of achievement and is the highest honor in the profession. He called the safety profession a “noble” profession and encouraged attendees to share their knowledge.
Ensuring that our employees do not get hurt, so they can go home to family and friends is a noble cause. It’s the moral driver and why we do what we do, but it’s also easy to forget. After all, we have inspections and audits to conduct, checklists to complete, regulations to interpret and employees to train. In addition, expectations of the safety professional continue to grow. We are beginning to integrate into the business which means we need to better communicators by tailoring our messages to our audience. We need to define safety in financial terms when we speak with the CFO, in efficiency terms when we speak to operations, in legal terms when we speak to the lawyers and so forth. We need to be a strategist and stay abreast of the latest developments in the safety world. Becoming a business partner rather than simply a stand-alone component means more will be expected of us.
With so much going on, it’s easy to understand how we can forget that our profession is a noble one. It’s noble because we take satisfaction when our employees return home to their family and friends the way they came to work. It’s noble because we truly show how much we care by ensuring that hazards that cause injury are identified and corrected. It’s noble because there is no better way to show you care than to create a workplace where people can work without fear of being injured.
Yes, the safety profession is a noble profession. Thanks to Gary Barnett, ASSE Fellow, for reminding me.
Patrick J. Karol, CSP, ARM, is manager, safety and risk control with Aramark in Philadelphia, PA.
Patrick J. Karol, CSP, ARM, is manager, safety and risk control with Aramark in Philadelphia, PA.
