Engineering & Mining Journal

JUN 2012

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MINE SAFETY engaged. We cannot expect others to act with safety in mind if we do not model the right behaviors ourselves, both on and off the job. While the traditional approach to safety has resulted in improvement over the years, consider that the structured method may also be one of our failings. Safety has often been about procedures and train- ing—trying to get everyone to do the same jobs the same way, repeatedly. Fortunately, most people conform. For those who do not, the traditional approach has been harsh discipline, and that has not achieved much success. We have to work with our employees on an individual basis, applying and delivering what they needed—not what we think they must have. This means a different approach with each of them and a lot of communication. That takes time, a pre- cious commodity that none of us seem to have enough of. We had to commit to this leadership approach if we were going to realize a step-change improvement. Note the reference to 'time' in this quote widely attributed to Abraham Lincoln: "Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality. It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions. And the actions which speak louder than the words. It is making the time when there is none. Coming through time after time after time, year after year after year. Commitment is the stuff character is made of; the power to change the face of things. It is the daily tri- umph of integrity over skepticism." When we take the time the results we want are evident. Take the time. As part of the safety culture, Barrick also asked leaders to demonstrate 'visible, felt leadership.' You cannot create a safety culture by sending safety messages to the field from your office. You must be in the field, interacting with people, walking around, coaching, checking compliance, and asking questions. Your words and actions must communicate the sense of urgency around safety, as well as the vul- nerability that exists around the work being done. Keep stressing the vision with a focus on caring for people—employees, contractors, suppliers—not statistics. Go out of your way to acknowledge good safety performance. Respond to any safety incident or near miss with a "what can we learn" approach. Take immediate action to correct any substandard condition or behav- iors, challenging negative attitudes or hier- archies if necessary. As managers, leaders should assess safety activities as part of per- formance reviews and compensation, and promote only those individuals with proven safety performance. Hold yourself and oth- ers accountable for following through on safety-related commitments. Make safety discussions part of every meeting. Good leaders build a safety culture, maintain people's trust, control risks and position the organization for enhanced success. We have the opportunity to improve safety performance if we have the right attitude. We must believe that we can create safe, incident-free workplaces, and we must work toward this objective. Yes, zero is possible, and we can achieve that with committed, engaged leadership in our organizations. Huber currently serves as vice president of safety services at inthinc technology solutions (www.inthinc.com). Previously, he was the director of safety and health at Barrick Gold and was credited for implementing the com- pany's Courageous Safety Leadership pro- gram. In 2009, the International Society of Mine Safety Professionals recognized Huber with its Highest Degree of Safety Award. www.e-mj.com JUNE 2012 • E&MJ; 113

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