Is It Time to Go “Outside”?

A Safety Coordinator (SC) plays a dual role at PDRMA member agencies. Not only is he the main contact for PDRMA Risk Management Consultants and the voice of PDRMA at the agency, but he can and should influence the agency's safety committee, safety culture and focus.

To help SCs better understand their role, PDRMA offers a one-day class, Your Role as a Safety Coordinator (Sept. 15, 2016), as well as a full SC curriculum. “Not only is the class a great overview of the SC role, but it’s an opportunity to discover what other Safety Coordinators are doing at their agencies,” says Bill Hooker, PDRMA Training Program Supervisor.

Sometimes the challenge for an agency is finding a way to focus on safety — and maintain it. Having someone dedicated to the safety role can make a big difference in agency culture. And being creative in how you find that person can make an equally big difference.   

”Having someone whose primary function is Safety and Safety Training gives the issue the proper attention it needs for positive results throughout the entire organization,” points out Monica A. Meyers, Executive Director, Forest Preserve District of Kane County.  

Previously, the agency’s Director of Human Resources along with the Human Resources Specialist shared Safety Coordinator tasks. Although the safety program flourished, it reached a plateau regarding innovation and coaching because of those roles' other duties and responsibilities. “There simply wasn’t enough time in the day to do all we wanted — and needed — to do,” recalls Tracey Smith, Director of Human Resources.

So in late 2014, thanks to a well-written budget request and a detailed job description, Meyers succeeded in persuading the Board of Commissioners to look outside the agency to hire a dedicated, part-time Safety Coordinator, as well as approve a safety budget incorporated into the human resources budget.

After widely advertising for the position, the agency hired Chuck Misner, who has some 23 years of safety and operations management in the railroad and airline industries, plus extensive experience in causal analysis of injuries and risk identification. “I was attracted to this role because of my desire to focus exclusively on safety, wellness, and risk management,” Misner remembers, “and I have been directly involved in implementing and coaching behavior based on safety process management systems. Besides, I live in Kane County and enjoy being a patron of the forest preserve — I love the outdoors!”
 
“Chuck’s been with us for three months, but it seems like he’s been here for years,” says Smith. “He acclimated quickly to a county government environment and has established great relationships with all staff levels. Chuck’s passionate about safety and wellness, which comes through with every project he has taken on.”

Although Misner's position is part time, he's able to focus on safety full time, bringing the agency's safety performance and culture to a higher level. Thus far, Misner has performed data analysis to focus injury prevention efforts on the highest risk activities. “We now have a monthly safety scorecard to track incidents by activity being performed,” he notes. He also reinvigorated the Safety & Wellness Team with monthly meetings and communications, and reintroduced the CORE 6 injury prevention program to field departments, among other projects.

Misner has an ambitious slate of future programs, modules and projects planned as well. “The goal is to help all employees meet our safety mission: ensuring the safest environment possible and promoting wellness for staff, volunteers, commissioners, patrons, and vendors."

”Chuck is passionate about developing a safety program that meets the needs of the organization and the employees,” adds Meyers. “He joins the employees in the field not only to discuss their requests, but also to see first-hand how work is being performed to develop the best possible program.
 
“The forest preserve has made it a goal to develop a strong safety culture, and the effectiveness of the Safety Coordinator has been key in creating that culture throughout the organization. Our recent (December 2015) employee satisfaction questionnaire confirms that, with 95.6 percent of responding employees stating we have a positive safety culture,” she notes.

Advice for others
For other PDRMA members considering hiring someone as a SC, Smith advises, “Take your time to find the right safety coordinator for your organization. For us, it was vital for that person to be able to relate to all levels of the organization, to be a great communicator, and to have a positive personality.”