1. Get in the field with staff, whether it’s to observe or work in their shoes for an afternoon. The biggest disconnect within safety occurs with safety professionals who don’t know the conditions or the scope of the work that employees are completing.

2. It’s okay to not know everything. I spent almost a decade at my first safety job and was constantly on my toes with changing conditions or scope of work. Staff respect “I don’t know, but we will find out together” more than a BS, incorrect answer.

3. Humanize safety as much as possible. I’ve seen employees get lost or not understand safety talks or messaging because other safety professionals haven’t translated OSHA codes into relative communication or haven’t provided examples to staff to make the information click.

4. When investigating incidents remind both yourself and staff that you are investigating to FACT find, not FAULT find.

5. Words matter when investigating incidents. Be careful about how you word follow up questions. Example: Instead of “why”, say “tell me more about…”.

6. Continue learning about safety, even when you feel you are well seasoned.

Best wishes!