Safety Update

Safety Update: Change Management - A Health and Safety Issue

Change management is a critical factor in the health and safety of organizations. Research has suggested that the failure to account for and manage change represents a contributing cause in a number of significant historical incidents, including: Bhopal 1984, the space shuttle Challenger 1986, Esso Longford 1998, Hickson & Welch 1992, and BP Grangemouth 2000.

The development and implementation of an effective health and safety program requires a change management strategy. So what do we mean by change management? It is a systematic approach to dealing with change, both from the perspective of an organization and on the individual level. Utilized effectively, it provides companies with a unique opportunity to improve their health and safety compliance and performance via a targeted communication, training and sustainment plan.

The importance of undertaking health and safety projects that are supported by sound change management practices cannot be overrstated. To be certain, organizational changes can affect the safe operation of a facility or worker in a number of ways that may include:

• The development of knowledge silos that limit critical safety communications and planning efforts
• Staffing reductions that create stressed and over-burdened employees unaware of important health and safety updates, changes and/or requirements
• Workforce attrition that translates into a loss of proactive and positive health and safety skills, knowledge and/or attitude(s)
• The utilization of outsourced contracts for critical services such as equipment design, process control software, hazard and risk assessment etc.

Typically within organizations the decision(s) to engage in projects regardless of their operational discipline are made by senior leadership. These decisions are made (almost) without exception in the absence of the greater staff's input, feedback or consideration. As a consequence, these changes can have negative safety or operability impacts.

While no standardized change management methodology exists, certain elements are common. Effectively, change in any form, requires a shift from an existing behaviour, practice and/or protocol to a new one. To accomplish this in a professional setting, employees must feel that they are a part of the overall management effort. Therefore, it is recommended that at a minimum an effective change initiative should:

1. Begin with a clear understanding and messaging of what the change is and why it is important. This is often referred to as the "vision" for change.
2. Secure the commitment and/or endorsement of senior leadership, thereby ensuring that the "change" is a priority.
3. Undertake a change readiness assessment, including a comprehensive stakeholder analysis that identifies (all) impacted personnel and any potential risks and/or resistance.
4. Develop a communication plan to regularly and consistently inform all staff about the pending change; particularly why the change is important to the organization and the individual employee.
5. Develop a training plan to train all staff on the various learning objectives of the pending change.
6. Develop a sustainment plan to ensure that the change is maintained after the initial communication and training effort has passed.

If your organization would like to learn more about managing health and safety change please contact Kurt Tiltack at 1-877-685-8522 or visit www.pathwaysinc.ca for more information.

About the Author
Kurt Tiltack has over a decade of experience leading organizational change management, corporate training, sales and marketing initiatives; operating directly within many of Canada's most dynamic industries including: consumer products, e-commerce, medical device and biotechnology. He is also a member of the Canadian Management Centre faculty where he regularly facilitates courses in leadership, management, employee engagement and change management training for Canadian business professionals. He holds an MBA and bachelor's degrees in education and political science.

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