What makes a good Safety Manager/officer/director?

What makes a good Safety Officer? I've been able to summarize this as the
"Eight Ps of ood Safety !anagement""
#" Passion $ really believe in %hat you do& and be strongly committed to im'roving the
safety culture"
(" Patience $ be 're'ared to ans%er lots of )uestions from those %ho don't share your
vision *%ell& not +ust yet,"
-" Professional $ be sought by management for your in'ut and advice& be res'ected for your
kno%ledge& act as a role model& and link O.SE strategies to business *value$adding,"
/redibility is one of the keys to effective management" 0he Safety Officer needs to be
someone %hose advice is a''reciated at all levels of the organization because it is
'ractical and im'roves outcomes"
1" Priority $ act %ith urgency& and com'lete tasks"
2" Persistence3Perseverance $ challenge non$com'liance& and do not let the actions of
others sli' by"
4" Performance3Proactive $ get things done3take action3have a go& 'ursue best 'ractice&
have good ideas *'roblem solving,& and be reliable"
5" Peo'le Person $ influence behavior& be a good listener& and be an e6cellent
communicator"
7" Personality3Profile $ be seen around the site& and have a sense of humor
What are the skills re)uired to manage the role of Safety Officer?
0he key skills are 'olitical& inter'ersonal& 'roblem solving& finance& and marketing skills" Safety
Officers needs to have 'olitical savvy to influence change" 0hey need to understand the business
and kno% %ho's in a 'osition of influence" 0hey need to s'end time in management committees&
and on the floor talking to 'eo'le" ood inter'ersonal skills can influence a change in the
behavior of staff" Peo'le do %hat gets noticed& re%arded& and measured" 0hey %ant to be
managed by 'rinci'les not endless rules and regulations& and they %ant 'ur'oses and 'rinci'les
that ins'ire them& em'o%er them& and encourage them to do their best" Safety management is
about leading 'eo'le to good ideas and so a 'roactive not a reactive 'erson is needed in the +ob"
Safety Officers need to decide %hat behavior is needed and to encourage it by giving 'ositive
reinforcement each and every time they see that behavior e6hibited" 0hey need to structure their
language& discussion& and interface %ith other managers in such a %ay that they s'eak their
language and can e6'lain issues in a %ay that motivates others in the ordinary course of
business"
Influence others
0o solve 'roblems& Safety Officers need to use the 'o%er and 'ervasiveness of information to
make everyone a%are of the 'roblem" 0hey need to be able to use 'roblems to find 'ractical
solutions" 0hey need to shift from hazard s'otting& %hich is a negative activity& to develo'ing
'ositive strategies to highlight safety 'erformance successes" 0hey need to use their kno%ledge
to educate and train 'eo'le to vie% safety as a value$adding com'onent& not as an additional
'roblem"