Directors Guidance
The guidance note below supports directors to think about how they can lead in safety. It is not a complete set of criteria for safety leadership.
A director/business owner is a person in a governance role.
The note provides three high level themes that you could focus on to develop leadership capability. Within each theme there are focus areas for action.
1. Plan
Define what ‘good’ looks like for your business, and how you will achieve that. Structure your role and that of other directors so that you can best consider and resource safety. Set clear expectations for your senior managers so that they understand your intention.
2. Motivate
This means being seen by your senior managers, workers and contractors to be taking an interest in them and their safety, and holding them accountable for doing the same. At this level effective leadership in safety requires looking outside your business, into the sector and the community, and using your influence to make a positive impact beyond your business footprint.
3. Build understanding
This means developing your own capability, so that you are an intelligent customer for your internal and external stakeholders. It also means having a good understanding of the risks in the business, and being open to full and frank information about business safety performances.
For more information on the three focus areas, see the guidance notes.
Where to get more information:
Charter
- The Charter Health and Safety Leadership Report
- The Charter’s Commitments and Vision which can be used to develop your organisation’s vision and objectives
- The Charter posters and 9 toolbox talks and posters on the Charter’s critical risks. These could be used to lead a discussion on site or as a starting point to inform your approach to risk management
Institute of Directors/ Business Leaders Health and Safety Forum
- Business Leaders Health and Safety Forum leadership programme
- Good Governance Practices Guideline for Managing Health and Safety Risks, Institute of Directors, NZ
- Health & Safety Leadership, A guide for small to medium business owners and company directors, Institute of Directors, NZ
MBIE/WorkSafe New Zealand
- People Come First: Promote a strong health and safety culture
- How Health and Safety Makes Good Business Sense – A Summary of Research Findings
- Health and Safety Leadership: A guide for SME owners and directors
Overseas Examples
- Safety Governance and Safety Leadership for Board Members and Senior Executives, Executive Summary, Orbitas Group
- Safety Governance and Leadership in the Boardroom, Orbitas Group
- Work Health and Safety Consultation, Co-operation and Co-ordination, Model Code of Practice, Safework Australia
- Promoting effective health and safety leadership, Safework Australia
- Leadership and Culture, Safework Australia
- Safe and Sound, A discussion paper on safety leadership in government workplaces, Comcare for the Australian Safety and Compensation Council
- Leadership and worker involvement on the Olympic Park, Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA)
- Leading Health and Safety at Work, Actions for directors, board members, business owners and organisations of all sizes. Health and Safety Executive, United Kingdom (HSE UK)
Training
- Leading for Safety Excellence, Impac
- Health and Safety from a Management Perspective, Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce
- Contractor Management, Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce
- Health and Safety Governance online training module, Institute of Directors NZ
Other
Directors guide
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