Looking for the right safety job/company
I'm planning on leaving my current position soon as a safety coordinator at the small manufacturing plant I currently work at. The environment has become quite toxic, and it is very tough to collaborate and make changes. This is my second job, and I've found both work environments to be pretty similar.
As I start looking for a new employer, does anyone have any red flags I should be on the lookout for during the interview? Really looking to secure my forever job - so trying to do this job search one last time.
Comments (9)
Several great comments.
I look for VPP, Lean Management, Six Sigma, etc. to see if they are proactive towards safety. If they aren't currently certified, I'll ask in the interview if they are interested in moving that direction. The response will immediately give away how dedicated they are to safety in my opinion. Most are happy being reactive and settle for maintaining compliance. Do they just meet minimum OSHA requirements or adopt most restrictive exposure limits, etc.? Several tend to put more efforts in production and profitability than safety and quality.
Union vs. non-union has a huge impact on safety and the ability to advance initiatives. I believe union representation should be engaged in assisting the advancement of safety initiatives, but depending on their current relationship with management, it can be difficult to move forward. I was with one organization that had a union but for several years, they were fighting over terms of a new contract so there was great hostility within and very little was able to be accomplished. If it wasn't written in the contract, it wasn't going to happen.
Researching reviews of the company will tell quite a story as well. Some may be begrudged employees, others may be in management's good graces. Other reviews from outsiders like truckers who pick up and deliver will give insight on efficiency, quality, safety, and environmental concerns.
I always ask about incidents in the last 12 months and RIR as well as corrective actions to determine if they are taking personal responsibility as a company or blaming employees for fault, disciplining safety infractions (which drives reporting underground) vs coaching/educational opportunities and lessons learned and improved upon as an organization. Recently, I've had some that look and sound progressive on the websites and in interviews, but even after a "thank you" email for the interview, they don't give any response which says a lot about the character of the management team.
Something else you could possibly request during an interview is a tour of the facility and talk to some of the employees on the plant floor. Sometimes their attitudes around safety can give you some insight as well.
You could search former employees on LinkedIn and message them about what it's really like to work there
A few posters have shared good ideas: checking the website for health and safety statements, looking at previous employees' tenure on LinkedIn, asking safety-specific questions during the interview.
I would add that you could look for companies with VPP or ISO status. These show the company does more than the bare minimum. I would also ask about the safety culture and their safety management system. Are they only interested in reactionary OSHA compliance, or do they strive to meet more conservative standards/limits e.g. ANSI, ACGIH.
Dont hold your breath. That’s the nature of the beast. The ones who last for years normally roll w it and don’t have a conscience. Find an employer that WANTS SAFETY. Keep your integrity intact. For obvious and not so obvious reasons.
Not all companies are the same, but I have generally found that in manufacturing the type of industry is really going to be an indicator of how seriously they take safety. In my experience, large manufacturing companies with standardized production such as automotive manufacturing tend to have more safety buy-in because they tend to focus on manufacturing methodology that includes environmental and safety concerns. Look at the companies mission and values on their website, if there is no mention of worker health and safety then they probably don't put too much emphasis on that. It is also important to know what type of workforce you are going to be up against. If there is a Union for the company, it will have a different safety dynamic than if there was not a union. I agree with the comment that you really can't tell by the interview. In my most recent interview I asked what their top safety concerns were, what their safety climate was like, and if they felt like they have buy-in from management. They can of course shape their answers however they want but it is still worth the ask. I also will sometimes browse LinkedIn for people who work or have worked for the company to see how long they have worked there.
I hate to say it, but it's hard to tell by the interview process. My last job, I was blatantly lied to about everything from the importance of safety to what my job responsibilities really were. At the end of the day it's a gamble and nothing is fool proof. I would say try to get some insight as to the reputation of the company before accepting a position.
Reminds me of my last employer. When I started looking I asked about how involved management was in safety, what their near miss program looked like, what their incident investigation process was like, injury history, safety culture, etc. All things that would give me an idea if they were legitimately committed to safety.