Usually, I instruct companies to resist the temptation to create new policies—safety-related or otherwise—if possible. There are far too many companies with onerous and outdated policy books. You don't make policy for discrete incidents or due to the behaviors of small numbers of people based on the remote chance of harm or lower productivity. However, if physical harm is a real possibility, you obviously need to follow all applicable laws and industry norms, and potentially institute even more progressive company policies. The cost of administering one good policy always outweighs the cost of one big lawsuit. Besides, keeping your people safe is the right thing to do.
To whom should the rule apply?
Granted, it can sometimes be difficult to tell, but here is a great rule of thumb: when in doubt, it applies to them. Stated differently, you usually have three camps of people to consider when there is a new safety rule: those it clearly applies to, those it might apply to, and those it clearly does not apply to. Err on including the first two groups. For example, consider a rule requiring the use of goggles on the shop floor. Should the guys working on the line wear them? Of course. What about that person sitting at the desk in the far corner of the shop far away from the action? If they physically interact at all with the dangerous areas of the shop, you bet. They are similar to the engineer who only occasionally makes a trip to the floor, they need to be protected too. Another huge reason to err on the side of the "when in doubt, it applies to them" approach is because the more people the policy applies to, the more just and fair it will seem to everyone.
How should the rule be enforced?
You really have two main options: informal sanctions and formal sanctions. Formal sanctions include verbal reprimands and written reprimands that can be added to the employee's official file. Unless the violation is malicious and repetitive (thus clearly a drag on morale and productivity), start with private reprimands. Then if needed, move to public reprimands, and if still needed, make your objection formal with written comments for the employee's file. Along the way, be sure to stay positive, clearly note the reason for the policy, and point out the widespread compliance with the policy by yourself and others.
That said, written sanctions for safety rule violations are typically only needed when the risk of harm is particularly high. Many situations pose minor risks as opposed to major risks, and in that case using informal sanctions is typically the better bet. Start by using existing regularly scheduled group meetings (e.g., a production meeting) to bring up the issue—without naming names as to who is and is not adhering to the standard. Use those forums as a place to talk about, agree upon, and write down particular safety norms supported by the group. Post them for all to see, preferably in multiple places. Importantly, the group must agree on the group-imposed consequences for violating the norms—this might include something as simple as having to put a dollar in the donut fund for the next weekly meeting. At the extreme, groups can impose harsher sanctions, including ostracizing a nonconforming member. Though not universally effective, group-imposed norms can be powerful, often far more powerful than formal rules and policies.
To sum up, in making a new safety rule, you must seriously consider the three questions above: when do you make a new safety rule, to whom should the rule apply, and how should the rule be enforced? After that, make sure you work with the proper supervisors and employees to get feedback on the specific nature of the proposed rule.
When employees are given genuine voices in crafting policies that will personally affect them, you drastically increase the likelihood of compliance once the rules go into effect.
About the Author:
Dr. Todd Dewett is the author of the forthcoming book Leadership Redefined. He is a professor and consultant with a Ph.D. in Management from Texas A&M University. Dr. Dewett has extensive experience consulting on people-related issues in organizations, both with large firms such as Anderson Consulting and Ernst & Young, and in private practice.
For more information, please contact Dr. Todd Dewett at:
Todd Dewett, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Management
Wright State University
Department of Management
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy.
Dayton, OH 45435-0001
(937) 775-2216
fax (937) 775-3545
www.wright.edu/~todd.dewett
