Employees "love to use" HSE staffs for fixing own problem

When Safety Culture is being matured, we face the challenge of safety diversion. In purpose of solving any problem immediately, employees love to use the word “its safety related matter”. 2 examples recently at our company Transwest Mongolia:

1. Private car parking – An employee asked HSE team “we need more space to park our vehicles because if something happens to my car, it disturbs me at workplace and decrease my concentration on job safety. Coming or Leaving workplace is registered as industrial accident in Mongolia, so HSE team should speak with Management for more car parking areas”
2. Showering and locked – I have locked 3 times because of showering after work hours. What if there is a fire in the building while I’m locked?

Personal car parking outside of premises and locked issue after work hours is not safety issue, but as you see an employee tied personal issue in company safety smartly because employee knows if I tell its safety issue, my supervisor gets corrective action immediately and safety department is involved to chase up the corrective action.

How we repair this diversion?

Department Managers to their employees:

• Inform employees that do not connect every issue (maintenance, administration, personal or communication) to safety unless it’s really affected for my safe being at workplace.
• Tell them “Think before speak, is this workplace hazard that hurts me or my colleague?”
• Justify their report “Is it safety issue or maintenance and administration issue which can be managed by me?”

HSE Manager to HSE staffs:

• Involve only in occupational health, safety and environmental issue. Think before respond, is it safety related issue?
• Explain to employees and mentor them if it’s not safety matter.

Actually this problem happens not only in Mongolia, but everywhere in the world. At mine site, more classic examples happen:

• Lunch is cold. We need microwave to heat the food because cold food is bad for my health. Microwave shall be provided by HSE Department.
• Safety boots is always wet. I need better boots (No, he needs better hygiene and wash his feet or buy better sox and insole).
• My supervisor is angry with me. It’s depressed me and I can’t concentrate on Take 5, so accident can be happen. (Here, labor communication issue is connecting to Safety and an employee tried to use HSE staff as a shield in front of his supervisor).
• My roster is too long and I’m fatigued. Fatigued employee has 30% more chance to be hurt. (An employee is steering HSE staffs for speaking with Management to decrease roster period on behalf of them, and overusing HSE staff as Trade Union Representative).
• We need better accommodation and Wi-Fi because we want to read more safety articles to improve my safety knowledge… he he