Best Practices - Final Edition

Training and monitoring safety programs and initiating enhancements should be about one third of the hiring manager’s job. If that seems extreme, consider the consequences of a worst case scenario.

The written and well-communicated safety program established in #16 above will be very beneficial in the monitoring effort. It provides a track to run on and an organized way of memorializing changes and progress. Make certain that the root cause of every accident, no matter how small, is determined, documented and addressed to assure no recurrence. Look for trends in a department, with specific employees and within specific job classifications. Trends usually point to mismanagement, a lack of focus on safety or the need for a review of processes and procedures.

Human resources management forms and procedures may seem boring and unnecessary. However, they are often the precise documentation needed to defend your actions to either a regulatory agency or in a court of law. Go over the best practices provided throughout the year in this column. Most of them deal with the elements that would be needed to structure an organized HR program. Structure, organization and consistency are your best means of avoiding HR management and regulatory problems later on.

Once again, a structured plan…without one, you’re trusting your (and your managers’ and supervisors’) best intentions. “Best intentions” provide a very weak defense!

If you are the executive in charge of HR issues you should first train yourself. Take an employment law class once a year to keep current with the ever-changing legal requirements. Schedule managers and supervisors to training classes in vital HR areas – not sporadically – have a strategy. Schedule required safety training throughout the year for all affected employees. Read magazines and newsletters that cover legal issues for employers. And, regularly review some websites, such as osha.gov or the Department of Labor site for current legal news.