Let’s be honest—managing a business today is more complex than ever. The world is changing at an almost dizzying pace. Markets shift, regulations tighten, technology evolves, and expectations from employees and stakeholders continue to grow. But one thing hasn’t changed: the fundamental risks that come with running operations. Equipment still breaks down, people still make mistakes, and hazards are still very much present in the workplace.
So, how do you ensure safety keeps up with this rapid change without drowning your team in red tape? How do you create a system that doesn’t just sit on a shelf but actually helps people do their jobs more safely and efficiently? That’s exactly what we’re going to explore—how to build a safety management system (SMS) that’s not just about compliance but about making work better and safer in the real world.
Too often, safety management systems start with paperwork—policies, procedures, and compliance documents that are designed to meet regulatory requirements. While these are important, they often fail to reflect how work is actually done. A safety system that prioritises documentation over real-world work can lead to frustration, inefficiency, and disengagement.
By shifting the focus to the work itself, organisations can develop safety systems that are truly effective. This means understanding the tasks people perform, the risks they face, and the practical barriers to safe work.
In most organisations, there is a significant difference between how work is imagined by managers, engineers, and safety professionals and how it is actually performed on the front line. This gap can lead to ineffective controls, unrealistic procedures, and a disconnect between management and workers.
Understanding this gap requires engaging directly with workers, observing their tasks, and identifying the real challenges they face. Only by seeing work as it is truly done can an organisation build a safety system that supports, rather than hinders, its workforce.
Spending time in the field is the most effective way to understand work. This means stepping away from the office and engaging directly with workers, supervisors, and teams. Ask them about their tasks, their challenges, and what they need to do their jobs safely.
Key Actions:
Conduct site visits and informal walk-throughs.
Observe work processes without interfering.
Ask open-ended questions to encourage honest feedback.
Instead of assuming you know what the issues are, adopt a mindset of curiosity and humility. Workers often have deep insights into the risks they face and the best ways to manage them. Asking open-ended questions can reveal valuable information that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Example Questions:
“Can you walk me through a typical day in your role?”
“What parts of your job do you find most challenging?”
“Are there any safety measures that slow down your work or create difficulties?”
Workplace safety is often compromised by operational pressures, inefficient workflows, and conflicting priorities. Understanding where workers face obstacles—whether due to time constraints, unclear procedures, or resource limitations—allows for practical safety improvements.
Key Areas to Explore:
Common workarounds used to bypass safety measures.
Situations where productivity and safety appear to be in conflict.
Tools, equipment, or PPE that hinder efficiency.
Once insights have been gathered, it’s crucial to act on them. Workers need to see that their input leads to meaningful changes. Providing feedback on what has been learned and how it will be addressed fosters engagement and trust.
Ways to Close the Loop:
Summarise key findings from workplace observations.
Share proposed changes with teams for validation.
Implement improvements and monitor their effectiveness.
A safety management system should serve as a support mechanism, not an administrative burden. By starting with the work itself, organisations can create systems that are relevant, effective, and embraced by the workforce. When workers see that safety measures help them do their jobs more effectively—not just meet compliance—they are far more likely to engage with them.
The goal is simple: Build a system that works for people, rather than expecting people to work for the system.
One of the biggest myths in safety management is that compliance equals safety. It doesn’t. Leadership is what drives safety, not checklists. If your managers and supervisors aren’t setting the tone, even the best safety procedures will be ignored when the pressure is on.
Make safety a natural part of leadership conversations. If safety is only talked about in safety meetings, it’s not a real priority.
Coach, don’t police. Instead of focusing on catching people breaking rules, help them succeed in working safely.
Lead by example. If leaders cut corners, employees will too.
Not all risks are created equal. Some things—like critical risks that can lead to serious injury or death—need a lot more attention than others. Yet too many safety management systems treat every risk the same, drowning teams in minor hazards while the biggest dangers get lost in the noise.
Identify and prioritise critical risks. Don’t spread your efforts too thin—focus on the things that can cause real harm.
Ensure controls are actually effective. A control that looks good on paper but doesn’t work in practice is worse than useless.
Keep risk management simple. If a process is too complicated, people won’t use it when they’re under pressure.
Historically, safety systems were designed to force people into compliance. But modern safety thinking acknowledges that people are not the problem—they are the solution. Instead of trying to eliminate variability, we should be helping workers make good decisions in the face of complexity.
Design procedures that help, not hinder. Avoid lengthy documents that nobody reads—focus on practical guidance.
Create feedback loops. Give workers a way to provide input on what’s working and what isn’t.
Encourage adaptability. Not every situation fits a procedure, so empower people to use their judgment when needed.
One of the biggest mistakes in safety is relying solely on lagging indicators like injury rates. While these numbers are important, they don’t tell the full story. Many organisations have learned the hard way that focusing on reducing reported incidents can lead to underreporting rather than actual improvement.
Track leading indicators. Monitor things like near-miss reporting, quality of safety conversations, and control effectiveness.
Look beyond the numbers. Talk to workers about whether they feel safer and better supported.
Celebrate learning. Instead of punishing mistakes, use them as an opportunity to improve.
In a world that’s constantly changing, a static safety system is a broken one. The best organisations don’t just meet compliance requirements—they build systems that help their people succeed in a complex, ever-changing environment.
So, if you’re a manager struggling to balance operational demands with safety, don’t get caught up in bureaucracy. Focus on what matters—understanding real work, leading by example, managing critical risks, supporting your people, and continuously learning. That’s how you build a safety system that actually makes a difference.
After all, safety isn’t about policies—it’s about people.