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700 Introduction to Safety Management
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Involve Everyone

Michael D. Topf, founder and president of TOPF Initiatives, has extensive experience in consulting as well as designing and conducting training courses in executive leadership.

The level of safety involvement should be self-sustaining.

Let's see what he has to say about employee involvement:

What does it look like?

Employee involvement means participation by employees at every level. When used as part of the term employee ownership, "employee" does not refer uniquely to line or hourly workers, but to everyone involved in the organization at every level and in every department.

Ownership: A Key Principle

For a safety, health, and environmental improvement process to be successful and self-sustaining, it needs to be seamlessly integrated into the organization. This is especially important if the goal is to make employees feel a sense of ownership. We have to recognize that the process and its benefits are valuable not only for the employees but also for their families and others within the company

Reference: Why Employee Involvement May Not Be Enough. Topf, Michael D. Occupational Hazards. May 2000, Vol. 62 Issue 5, p41. 2p. 1

When employees are involved in safety, they develop a sense of ownership. As a result, they are more likely to follow safe job procedures, even when they are not directly supervised.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

3-2. According to Michael Topf, what must occur for a safety improvement process to be self-sustaining and successful?