Managers should use health & safety change management strategies and tools to implement new safety practices in organizations.
Improving safety programs involves changing how things are done in the workplace. Health & Safety change management is required during safety program improvements. A great new workplace safety idea can fail because of poor leadership during implementation of the new process. Executives and managers must identify and manage how the changes caused by a new safety ideas affect their organization’s stakeholders and business systems.
A well-designed implementation plan for a new safety procedure includes identifying, in advance, how it will affect the business’ processes and people. Risk and hazard analysis is helpful. Then, a plan can be developed to prevent potential problems. Tools, like the University of Windsor’s Management of Change Form , are useful to help identify issues that may undermine the implementation of a new procedure.
Since safety improvements involve asking individual to do their jobs differently, employees are greatly affected by these types of changes. Others who interact with the organization, such as customers, suppliers and the public, may also require assistance coping with new business procedures. If people do not understand why change is required, this can cause problems incorporating the new idea into practice in a workplace. Even if supported by everyone, it can still can be difficult for people to adopt new ideas.
Health & Safety change management involves planning for changes and then supporting individuals as they learn, problem-solve, adjust and accept new realities. Change can cause employees distress related to learning new tasks and adjusting to alterations to jobs and personal routines. Employees who are support by managers find it easier to adopt new procedures. Unsupported workers can become stressed or confused and negative outcomes, such as poor employee morale or safety incidents, can occur.
Identifying risks and planning health & safety change management strategies does not guarantee smooth transitions to new business procedures. Not all problems can be prevented. During times of change, managers must show strong leadership and guide their teams through the changes required to achieve safety program improvements.
