You’re in the middle of your busiest season, desperately trying to keep up with deadlines, and out of the blue, your only safety person submits their notice. Now you’re left without safety personnel, putting your workforce at risk, and potentially falling out of compliance or breaching contractual obligations. What’s your next move?

Do you appoint someone else on your team as “temporary” safety manager until you have a moment to find someone new? Do you rush the hiring process to find another dedicated safety person? Do you risk it and try to go without safety leadership for a while? None of these options are ideal and you know it, but what else can you do? Work can’t stop while you figure it out.

This scenario happens more frequently than you might think. Without any reflection, all that happens is a revolving door of safety people and no consistency in your safety program. Fortunately, you have options.

Root Cause Analysis

The first step is to evaluate why your safety people keep leaving. Although it’s tempting to blame the individuals, the reality is, they are likely leaving because they feel overwhelmed and under supported. It’s possible the skill level required for the job was beyond their capability and without any help or guidance, they were flying blind. Rather than risk someone getting injured or worse, potential legal action, they chose to quit while they were ahead. Taking an honest look at why your safety personnel don’t stick around will help you make the best hiring decision for your team.

Operational Assessment

The next step is to evaluate your operational needs when it comes to safety. Consider the type of work your teams are doing. Are your operations mostly consistent, or are you expanding into new areas with different safety considerations? If your scope of work is evolving, is your safety program evolving with it? Unless you have an in-depth understanding of regulatory and operational requirements for each type of work you do, you may be falling short with your safety program.

Strategic Hiring

Finally, evaluate what you need in a safety team. If you “over hire” you’ll be paying more for a highly qualified person, but eventually they will get bored. If you “under hire”, that person will feel overwhelmed trying to keep up and you run the risk of compliance or regulatory violations or financial liability for safety events. In any case, without significant support, both will end up leaving after a short time and you’ll be back where you started. This may be when it’s time to call for some help.

You don’t know what you don’t know – until you know. And that’s okay.

Investing in a third-party audit of your systems and requirements will help you identify the skill level of the safety professional(s) you need. If you’d like to hire internally, the third-party team can help you identify the best people for the role, as well as their knowledge gaps and what training could help them get up to speed. If you’re hiring externally, they can help with the screening and interview process and help you choose someone who will be a good fit.

Additionally, you might also consider a fractional safety professional. Fractional safety teams are “on-demand” safety professionals who provide holistic support where you need it, within a set budget. It can be difficult to find a singular safety professional who can meet all your requirements. A fractional safety team can give you access to multiple skill sets for about what it would cost to hire one person.

Break the Cycle

Without a qualified safety professional on your team, you run the risk of workplace incidents, regulatory violations, and potential legal action. That’s why it’s critical to approach your next safety hire with intention. No matter the size of your team or the industry you’re in, safety should never be an afterthought. Taking the time to assess your needs and invest in the right support ensures you’re building a sustainable safety program that protects your people and supports long-term operational success.

When it comes to safety, being proactive isn’t just smart – it’s essential.

If you’re ready to stop the revolving door safety team at your organization, contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation to discover how Exceed Safety’s services might be right for you.

919-728-7233 | info@exceedsafety.com