Well, I’ll admit it. My crystal ball may have been a little foggy. In January, I wrote that technology trends would dominate the safety profession through 2020. That was prepandemic.
Although I can still state with certainty that tech trends will remain incredibly important to safety moving forward, COVID-19 now dominates every headline and conversation.
For at least the short term, everything about the way we do business has changed. Long-term effects are pending, but, in the meantime, let’s look ahead to what this all translates to for safety professionals moving forward.
Shift in Safety Culture
Without question, COVID-19 has brought about the largest shift in modern culture ever. Period. Full stop. And not just with safety, but with all facets of our life. Human behavior has been completely upended.
As a safety professional, it’s fascinating to see such an embrace of—and commitment to—standard safety protocols on everything from HVAC maintenance to PPE adoption to distancing markers in grocery store lineups. All in the name of protecting ourselves and others.
It’s important to remember that, just like in our challenges with buy-in on any safety topic, there will be dissenters. And there certainly are in the case of COVID-19. But this is different. Loss is far more tangible. Fear runs rampant, and people, for the most part, have responded.
Let’s take that response and open our minds to this presented, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Momentum on a new (or old) safety program component is difficult. You need a recognized gap, adequate resources, buy-in from senior management, a consulted supervisory and worker population, and then incentive—usually more than just legislation—to drive it all home.
That’s a lot, and, as we all know, even if the moons properly align, it never goes smoothly.
But momentum is huge. The laser focus and current inertia COVID-19 has presented to the safety world will likely never be seen again.
Can safety professionals leverage the spotlight on the profession to push correction and compliance on culture challenges faced for years? At their essence, the issues are the same—a hazard exists, controls must be put in place, and it’s up to everyone to look after each other. Right?
It’s hard to know for sure, but a huge opportunity could be lost if this momentum diminishes or wavers because of time, absent consequences or financial challenges.