The First Facility Management Blog

When asked what were the top six issues facing the safety and health profession today, members of the field ranked lack of C-suite support for occupational safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) initiatives as the number one issue.

In addition to lack of corporate buy in, the other top six issues facing the safety, health, and environmental profession are:

• the aging profession/workforce;
• lack of resources;
• the need for more safety training and the need to increase a safety professional’s ability to market his/her value/improve the “enforcer” image (a two way tie);
• globalization without safety education and not enough time or funds for professional development (also a two way tie); and
• a shortage of SH&E college programs, increased job demands/job burnout, and outdated PELS (a three way tie).

Survey participants observed a need for increased CEO and supervisory support of SH&E initiatives, one noted, “the top dog should hold employees accountable and businesses must integrate safety into the overall business plan.”

Many survey participants feel there are not enough safety professionals being developed to meet the high demand for those with 10 to 15 years of experience, a demand expected to increase rapidly as “boomers” retire. Many also noted a lack of college programs to provide students with the training needed to enter into the SH&E profession.

Another noted, “Employers do not dedicate enough resources for safety training and tools, something that is very much needed in all industries.” Others said SH&E professionals must take control and educate their co-workers, corporate management, contractors, and vendors of the value the SH&E professional provides and to go beyond the minimum. One noted, “We must improve our ‘enforcer’ image.”

Another issue noted was the feeling of being overworked and stressed out. Some also noted a need to increase the availability of information on international safety rules and regulations.

Note: for those of you looking for an April Fools post on FacilityBlog, check out this one from the archives.