Have you ever had a great safety improvement idea that never got past the planning table? A program you were certain would reduce injuries that never saw the light of day? You’re not alone.

Far too many safety initiatives never get off the ground because the organization wouldn’t provide the money or staff needed to make it happen. It’s not because they’re bad people. More often than not, top management wants workers to be safe … but they just can’t make the “business case” to fund the proposed initiative. They don’t view Safety in the same way they view quality control, productivity or cost management. It just isn’t seen as a “bottom-line” issue.

So what can you do? Keep banging your head against the wall and begging for a few extra dollars? Keep tracking the OSHA incident rates? Wait for a major injury to get management’s attention?

If there’s a magic bullet, it has to be that safety professionals need to think like senior managers and relate Safety to the financials and drivers of the business. After all, senior managers normally come from finance, sales, marketing, and occasionally, engineering. It’s your job to help them realize that Safety management systems are not simply another cost to be controlled.