When was the last time you did a
check-up on your safety checkups? For most managers, just completing established risk control procedures
takes all the energy they can muster.
“Many business people have constantly
increasing responsibilities with new challenges and pushes for greater efficiency,”
says Mitchell Maddox, a risk control manager at Westfield Insurance. “In this environment, it’s easy to accept the existing
safety programs instead of taking time to
step back, address issues and prioritize
risk management opportunities.”
Smart Business discussed with Maddox
the benefits of using simple, electronic
tools that offer quick, comprehensive risk
control assessments.
How can assessments help businesses evaluate the effectiveness of safety and loss-control programs?
Simple assessments help company leaders evaluate safety and loss-control procedures from a 30,000-foot view, including
whether existing programs still work effectively and efficiently. Regulatory changes,
operational modifications, external factors
and process improvement concerns could
all lead to necessary revisions of safety
programs.
Compiling feedback from line workers,
managers and executives from a variety of
departments can help create a 360-degree
evaluation of the safety culture of an organization, which assists with planning and
executing programs. Also, the results can
help management understand whether
they’re communicating safety messages
effectively.
How can an online tool make these assessments easier and more effective?
Most people don’t want to take a long
time to complete a safety assessment.
Internet tools make it easy by allowing the
participant to perform the assessment as it
fits their schedule.
Web-based tools also have the benefit of
privacy. No one is looking over the participant’s shoulder. Managers can privately review the results and decide what actions
they want to take.
Can managers expect specific recommendations from a risk-control tool?
It’s helpful to initially complete a safety
assessment that has a streamlined, but
comprehensive, format. Typically, assessments involve a series of questions
designed to evaluate main risk-control
areas. General assessments help business
leaders think through the different components of their safety programs and decide
what they need to address.
Tools vary in their exact terminology, but
broad assessments usually address areas
such as safety culture, management support and risk control. Safety culture covers
issues such as employees’ understanding
of safety expectations and responsibilities.
Management support covers questions like
leaders’ awareness of and response to safety gaps. Risk control may address issues
such as the specificity of the safety plan
and physical controls in place to prevent a
loss.
Managers gain valuable knowledge from
completing an assessment that takes a
look at their company’s overall programs.
If they desire further detail for a particular area, they can seek out other tools that
address specific programs such as a lockout/tagout program.
How can businesses use these recommendations to close safety and risk gaps?
Objective results can help business leaders take a step back and evaluate the
strengths and opportunities within their
organization. The most helpful tools not
only point out areas for improvement, but
also offer practical suggestions to enhance
those areas. Business leaders can use this
information to set priorities and drive the
direction of their risk management programs. Their strategies can focus on first
addressing areas of the greatest weakness
or of the highest priority.
The tools themselves don’t provide conclusive answers. Instead they heighten
awareness, provide direction for targeted
effort, and suggest possible actions to
reach desired safety results.
What steps should business leaders take
after receiving an assessment?
Once decision-makers have their results,
they need to determine what they want to
accomplish. Often, the most effective strategy is to focus on safety efforts that will
drive high-priority business results.
Improvements happen when there is leadership support for particular goals and
action steps are built to achieve those
goals. Along with a plan, managers should
establish benchmarks to help them determine whether they’re on track. If they don’t
meet their forecasted results, they can look
back at their action plan and re-evaluate
how to meet their short- and long-term
goals.
MITCHELL MADDOX, risk control manager, can be reached at
(330) 887-8264 or [email protected]. In business for more than 157 years, Westfield Insurance provides commercial and personal insurance services to customers in 17
states. Represented by leading independent insurance agencies,
the product we offer is peace of mind and our promise of protection is supported by a commitment to service excellence. For
more information, visit www.westfieldinsurance.com.