Kevin Burns Blog (35)

Kevin Burns Blog

Leadership for frontline industrial supervisors.

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3 Ways To Outsmart Safety Inspectors
Posted by Kevin Burns on October 1, 2024
3 Ways To Outsmart Safety Inspectors
A team focused on winning a championship will outplay the team focused on avoiding penalties. I received an email this week from a safety adviser whose company has the right safety systems in place. Company management is strong and committed and there is a concentrated presence on the company’s job sites. But, the Occupational Health & Safety inspectors still find infractions? The question was: what is it that the inspectors are seeing and why can’t the company see it first?
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Why Safety Managers Cling To The Rules
Posted by Kevin Burns on October 1, 2024
Why Safety Managers Cling To The Rules
Being in a position of authority doesn’t automatically make you a leader. Your safety management positon doesn't automatically elevate you. Managers, who have no self-confidence about their abilities, cling to the rules. The reason for that is simple: the rules are always on your side and when you stick to the rules, you will always be right. That's why safety meetings cling to the rules, the statistics and the reports; they are irrefutable. They are proof. They are results. By clinging to the rules and statistics, there is no room for employees to challenge the person delivering them.
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5 Conversations That Have Nothing And Everything To Do With Safety
Posted by Kevin Burns on October 1, 2024
5 Conversations That Have Nothing And Everything To Do With Safety
Improve the individuals and the organization as a whole gets better. Improve personal skills and the collective safety culture improves. Safety meetings, should solve problems and make the organization better. They are not meant to bore, to disengage or to frustrate. But they do. Meetings don’t have to entertain. But there is nothing wrong with entertaining employees and making work fun, even safety. Fun meetings engage employees and increase uptake.
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3 Critical Ways To Positively Communicate Safety
Posted by Kevin Burns on October 1, 2024
3 Critical Ways To Positively Communicate Safety
Do you want your people fearing for their safety? Or would you rather have them feeling confident and supported in their safe choices? The notice read: “An inspirational keynote speech preferably from someone who's had an accident. A leave-behind message to always be mindful and follow procedures. A flat fee of $(cheap). No phone calls please.”
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9 Reasons You Can't Be A Leader Without A Commitment To Safety
Posted by Kevin Burns on October 1, 2024
9 Reasons You Can't Be A Leader Without A Commitment To Safety
Safety is a commitment to your people that their contribution matters and is worth protecting. Safety managers complain that they have difficulty in getting safety buy-in from senior management. Senior management seems more prepared to roll the dice on safety by under-funding the safety program. Executives understand profit and loss. But maybe they’ve never had safety explained in a way they understand. Maybe the pitch has been all wrong.
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5 Things Employees Want From Safety Meetings
Posted by Kevin Burns on October 1, 2024
5 Things Employees Want From Safety Meetings
You need to get down to what matters in safety meetings: talking WITH your people - not AT them. Safety is about preparedness - yet the safety meeting does not meet that standard. All too often, safety meetings get thrown together at the last minute. This does not inspire confidence from employees.
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The 3 Key Ingredients To Get Respect As A Safety Manager
Posted by Kevin Burns on October 1, 2024
The 3 Key Ingredients To Get Respect As A Safety Manager
The high-performance, respected safety managers of tomorrow must improve in three key areas today. Safety managers, safety supervisors, safety officers, safety advisers, safety personnel, foremen, crew chiefs, human resources personnel - it doesn’t matter the title. If you have a hand in managing the company safety program, you are a safety manager (one who manages).
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5 Truths Safety Managers Aren't Stressing To Young Workers
Posted by Kevin Burns on October 1, 2024
5 Truths Safety Managers Aren't Stressing To Young Workers
Young workers don’t know what they don’t know about safety. If they’re worth hiring, they’re worth protecting. I had a conversation with a young worker this week and was astounded how he was unaware of his rights, duties and obligations to safety. His admitted risky safety behaviors on the job made me cringe - not to mention his girlfriend who sat next to him.
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3 Key Strategies To Instill Safety Values In Employees
Posted by Kevin Burns on October 1, 2024
3 Key Strategies To Instill Safety Values In Employees
Workers bring their own values to the workplace. But what happens when those values run into conflict with corporate safety values? Trying to get employees to embrace safety as a personal value is one of the toughest things that safety personnel are faced with. It's not impossible, but it will take skills, commitment and perseverance.
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3 Effective Tips To Speak Up In Safety
Posted by Kevin Burns on October 1, 2024
3 Effective Tips To Speak Up In Safety
Safety is too important to be paralyzed by a fear of being judged by your co-workers. “According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” ― Jerry Seinfeld
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