MICHAEL A. TULLEY
U.S. Army Reserve Command
Fort Liberty, North Carolina
There are two sides to a safety program: administrative and fieldwork. Striking a balance between the two sides allows the safety program and the organization's safety culture to flourish. Neglecting one side or the other will cause the safety program to fail and the organization to suffer.
An organization's culture provides the context from which philosophies emerge and policies are derived. Policy decisions have an impact on the culture and can either reinforce or challenge the unit values. A culture that values life, equipment and mission will develop philosophies to protect those things — for example, "Accept no unnecessary risk." If leaders do not establish and enforce policies based on those philosophies, then there is nothing for the culture to rely on for guidance. In contrast, the culture may shift to accepting unnecessary risks, making it not only acceptable, but also commonplace.
Running an effective safety program is not difficult, but it is time-consuming and requires many hours sitting behind a computer. Tasks include updating standard operating procedures (SOPs), researching regulations, filing mishap reports, analyzing trends, developing communication and conducting program audits, among other things. On the other hand, there is also the fieldwork side of safety, where you are in the field observing, teaching, coaching, mentoring, investigating and carrying out inspections. This is where you feel like you are making a real difference. However, if you neglect the administrative side of safety, it will be evident during a program audit and impact your overall safety program.
A successful program is balanced. You need to establish clear policies and processes so everyone on the team knows what to do in case of certain events, and how often they should review the processes to ensure compliance with various regulations and federal codes. The program documents shouldn't just sit on your computer, and the processes shouldn't just be in your head. They need to go through the staffing process for buy-in and approval by the command authority. If you're the only one who knows the policy or process, then your unit's safety culture is dependent on your personality rather than established policies. Without proper documentation, the organizational safety culture doesn't have a good foundation and will never be able to truly prioritize safety.
Our policies must reflect the importance of safety to the organization. When you are on duty and guiding a young (or older), eager Soldier on what safety entails, you should be able to justify your instructions without resorting to, "Because I said so," or vague explanations. Remember that you are the representative of the commander and the person responsible for ensuring the safety program is fully operational. Just like a police officer does not arrest someone without a specific law or penal code, the same applies to making corrections and enforcing safety standards in the field. Pointing out safety violations isn't enough. You need a solid policy to make a correction and initiate a cultural change.
To recap, the business of safety is a balancing act between administrative duties and fieldwork. Clear policies provide a shared understanding and reduce the reliance on personality. Presence in the field provides reinforcement of the value leaders place on safety in the organization and for its members. Neglect one side of the program and your organization's safety culture will suffer the consequence of an ineffective safety program with increased mishaps, unreported hazards, lower morale and tolerance of risky behaviors.