Safety Is a Platform for Leadership CREATING A SAFETY CULTURE By Chris DeHerrera, DeHerrera Consulting LLC There is a time and place for everything, as the saying goes. And now is the time for workplace safety to move out of the backseat and into the front. Safety as a leadership platform should take its place next to profitability, skilled labor concerns and advocacy. It is no less important. Helping to ensure a safe workplace environment for every worker is the responsibility of the industry. In the 1950s, Utah was a thought-leader in workplace safety. By addressing serious workplace safety concerns at that time, the state developed safety standards and safety orders to protect workers. This initiative was two decades before the formation of the Federal OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) in 1970. Utah continued to lead out on workplace safety when in 1985, the state received approval to operate its own occupational safety and health programs called the Utah Occupational Safety and Health Act, Utah Code Ann. §34A-6-101 et seq. This act provides UOSH with the mandate to administer all laws and lawful orders to make certain that all employees in Utah have a workplace free of recognized hazards. UOSH falls under the authority of the Utah Labor Commission. Today, Utah is one of 26 states and territories to be considered a state plan. That is the tradition of occupational safety and health in Utah. So, what does this have to do with you as a business owner? Is a safe workplace considered in your annual strategic planning? Is safety a budgetary item? Are safety training and education of your workforce a checkmark or a blackmark? Does a safety culture exist within your company? If you do not strategically plan for it, it will not occur. Often, the way we frame an idea can change the way in which we respond. Look at safety as an opportunity to provide a safe workplace in which each employee returns safely to their family each day. Think of it this way. Safety is a value-add for your employees. It shows you care about providing them with a safe workplace. It shows you care about their well-being and the well-being of their families. By providing them with a safe workplace, you build trust between management and site workers. A safe workplace is an added employee benefit. Leading Indicator The (2002) blockbuster movie “Minority Report,” starring Tom Cruise, is about a futuristic special 6 | 2025 Utah Subcontractor Alliance
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==