Saturday, August 13, 2022

Hero Team

Imagine there’s a team at your workplace that looks out for people, protecting the weak and vulnerable, even saving lives!

By Geoff Dueck Thiessen, Regional Director, Winnipeg Member Centre

It’s your lucky day—you’ve already got one! The problem is, it’s actually got a boring name, so you might not have noticed it. It’s called the Workplace Safety and Health committee. While the name is accurate, it doesn’t do justice to the heroic nature of what this team does.

Is it easy to stick up for safety? Well, no it isn’t. That’s why we should think of your coworkers serving on these committees as heroes.

Managers face pressures to meet productivity targets, which can get in the way of seeing everything, listening carefully, or slowing down. And we know that many workers won’t approach a manager about safety. So that means it’s your coworkers who might be fighting against the grain, against productivity pressures, to give enough attention to safety. Even convincing coworkers to care about their own safety!

5 Tough Things about Safety Hero Work

Managers who don’t agree, won’t listen, or are resistant to change
Coworkers who don’t agree, won’t speak up, or are resistant to change
Fear of backlash for speaking up
When change is slow
When safety issues are complex, without clear answers

4 Rewards about Safety Hero Work

Knowing you’re making a difference
Having real, legislated power to make change
Learning how to work on a team and interact with laws/regulations
Learning leadership skills

When you have the chance, be sure to say thank you to your workplace safety heroes. And when there’s an opportunity to serve on your Workplace Safety and Health committee, consider it. It might sound like boring stuff, but hero work is never boring!

Hero Team

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