Why committing to safety improves leadership in a company
Sanjeev Gandhi (BE Chemical, MBA)
Managing Director and CEO at Orica
Safety is more than risk avoidance: it is a fundamental responsibility of company leadership, and a commitment to safety can help improve company leadership.
Long-term safety performance helps secure a company’s license to operate. This is especially true in the chemical industry, where the manufacturing process and technology require high levels of precision and accuracy. BASF operates six Verbund sites and more than 300 production plants across the world. Excellent safety performance helps generate confidence (and cooperation) among neighbors, local officials, vendors, contractors, and, in particular, employees and their families. This means more efficient operations, faster approvals, and better support. This structure is extremely helpful both to the community and to BASF’s business – and it is only possible because it is built on a foundation of safety performance.
Personal commitment to safety creates an overall culture of accountability.
Getting involved in safety initiatives as a leader shows a strong level of commitment to employees and to the company’s long-term development. During BASF Safety Days last year, I visited our site in Caojing, China. Together with every other employee, I signed “My Safety Commitment”, which covers some of the most important principles of safety at BASF. This coming month will mark BASF Safety Days 2019, where I will be personally participating in safety activities around the Asia Pacific region.
A commitment to safety fosters industry leadership.
A commitment to safety, fundamentally, means a commitment to the long-term performance of the company as a leader in the industry. Safe operations are not only about avoiding risk, but about positioning. By sharing our best practices in environment, health and safety performance with our suppliers and other companies in the chemical industry, we can help raise the bar for the entire industry. For example, since 2014 until today, BASF has been holding in-depth training sessions in collaboration with East China University of Science and Technology, covering all aspects of sustainable operations to help local suppliers improve standards.
I expect every BASF employee, starting with our leadership, to live our core values – and the most important is, “We do not compromise on safety.”
Office administration & facilities
4yvery well written safety article
Process Engineer at Air Products
4yWell done sir Best of luck for upcoming assignment
Previously Advisor - Responsible Care at Indian Chemical Council
4yBASF is a role model. Every aspect of safety is being implemented and supported by top management. However, this is not getting percolated even to other multinationals nor to domestic companies. Hope managements of all companies start appriciating the value of real safety over the show and clapping that is targeted by them.
Senior Manager - Manufacturing Excellence | Chemical Engineering, Process Improvement
4yDear Mr.Sanjeev,Based on my diverse industrial experience over the last 30 years , I wanted to openly and honestly admit that if we factor the Tangible and intangible benefits as returns for the investment on proactive safety measures, safety is an excellent area for investment with very attractive ROI..Just one single safety incident is enough to blow up the image of the organisation and cost millions of money for the organisation.So safety is an area worth investing .Safety is a powerful function of Top management commitment by which unsafe conditions can be mapped and minimised. While the employee sees the top management commitment in investing on unsafe conditions , he gets motivated and joins the management in minimising unsafe acts thereby creating a real WIN-WIN situation.BASF is a proud role-model organisation for the entire world of chemical industries, and for those companies who still have doubts and fear over investing on safety...And it is really worth spending on industrial safety to get attractive outcome in saving hundreds and thousands of precious lives and their dreams . So safety incubates and improves Leadership , Culture and even ROR.
Corporate Head -Health, Safety & Sustainability at Aarti Industries Ltd.
5yThanks Sanjeev, I also strongly believe that commitment to safety improve leadership and culture in companies. I personally had an experience of it.