Pacifier people
A buddy of mine has two daughters; one is 5 years old and the other is 2. The 5-year-old has sucked on a pacifier since infancy, while the 2-year-old never has. I guess the difference is how they were treated by their parents. The older one cried and whined, so they used a pacifier to quiet her. The younger child also cried and whined, but a little attention quieted her. This is an example of what I see in some project teams, and it’s related to the old axiom, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Some people, like squeaky wheels and whining 5-year-olds, need steady maintenance or hand-holding.
I’ve known hundreds of safety professionals, and I’ve employed scores of them during my career. Many only needed an assignment, tools, safety processes and the opportunity to help make a safe project, and they were off and running. Unfortunately, many others needed constant attention, help with uncomplicated reports, and reminders they are supposed to be leaders rather than guys and gals who need constant maintenance.
Slackers
Slackers are those who “just get by” doing the minimum to appease management and barely meeting the basic elements of the requirements. We’ve all either employed a slacker or two or worked by one and have likely regretted it. One slacker in particular was assigned to a petrochemical site on an expansion project. He quickly sidled up to the customer’s representative. That move, he thought, gave him a shield that would prevent him from being accountable for his assignment. With a customer to buffer the criticism from project leaders and me, his boss, he became pretty cocky. It did not take long before the situation cratered and his true colors were revealed. He did not show up the day after being confronted. He was nowhere to be found, and the customer buddy knew nothing. Such is the life of a slacker: Move on down the road where nobody knows you.
Maintenance men
One of my staff safety representatives only worked part-time. He was semi-retired and used that as leverage. He made it clear he didn’t need the money and often said you can “take this job and shove it.” Guess what? He suffered an injury from a “horse-playing” incident while on the job, and that was his last job with my employer. All the files that were requested (required) of him were somehow “lost in the mail.” Every week safety data was distributed throughout the company, and the data was generally incomplete or insufficient because his project data was not included. He constantly requested more help, more equipment or more tools. “Maintenance men” like this need lots of help and supervision. One of his tools should have been a pacifier.
Get a rope
Old western movies frequently used the line “get a rope,” meaning get a rope to string up the bad guys. Well, there’s another rope used in business. When people do not live by the employers’ requirements and codes of ethics, they usually end up on a short rope and under a microscope. Some need slack in their rope and yet they still end up hanging themselves. Others are very different; just wind them up, let ’em go and get out of the way. Until proven otherwise, give ’em some rope and they make things happen.
I’ll never forget a safety manager who ended up on a hard dollar job — one where the scope is defined and you don’t do any work that’s not in the contract (no extras). The budget was limited for the safety program, so he got inventive and made the most of very little. Yet his project came in under budget, ahead of the aggressive schedule and without injury. It’s the kind of project results you remember for a lifetime. How did it happen? The management team put together a safety awards and recognition program where crafts had input in what was done. Crafts were involved in everything — including orientation and training, audits and inspections, awards and recognition — so it’s no wonder the project was successful! All were involved and all bought into the safety process. It was an award-winning project. And guess what? No pacifiers were issued because none were needed.
For more information, contact HASC Customer Relations at (281) 476-9900, Ext. 310 or visit www.hasc.com.
