Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Turnberry

Matt Owens

I was excited to be asked to provide thought leadership on the importance of workplace safety. As I began thinking about our own organization, it made me realize that I wanted to highlight a specific area and topic versus just provide a general discussion on its importance.

I started running through my mind what “workplace safety” looks like in our company and at our various operating assets (primarily shopping centers and hotels) across the portfolio. Workplace Safety can obviously be very broad and encompasses numerous areas:

• Legal and Regulatory Compliance (i.e. OSHA)
• Regular Safety Audits & Inspections
• Workers Compensation (Insurance and Reducing Claims Costs)

Above all, there is a human element to workplace safety that can’t be ignored – the ability to drive employee engagement through a robust safety & security program. In our structure, both our head of insurance and risk management and I lead this functional area from the corporate office, but it is the property safety & security and human resources leaders that really pull through the execution. There are a number of intertwined initiatives that should be considered:

1. Leadership Commitment – it starts at the top. In our case, the General Managers are the stewards working with the Safety and security and HR Teams. Our properties also have a safety committee that meets regularly to review prior accidents, hazards, and align on the upcoming training topics and needs of the property.  
2. Hazard Mitigation – completing the aforementioned safety audits and inspections for one, but fixing any physical issues: Drying spills, ensuring fire egress, a functioning life safety system, appropriate lock-out/tag-out procedures, etc. 
3. Having your employees see the care for their environment lets them know you care.
4. Visible Security Presence – having frequent patrols, security teams being available upon a moment’s notice, escorting employees in a parking garage, etc., provides both a deterrent and protection (particularly important where you have a high volume of public and/or concerns with terrorist threats – in our case the third largest mall in the US).  
5. Accident Responsiveness – ensuring that genuine care and concern is exhibited prior to rushing the employees to get back to work.
6. Accountability – when employees perform tasks in an unsafe manner, or have complete disregard for performing tasks – what happens in correcting poor behavior? A tool to aid in this is an investigation document completed by the employee and the leader (after the employee has been provided care and has returned to work). This provides immediate learning for the employee while also aiding the reduction of such incidents by discovering and removing the root cause. 
7. Training and Education – this is where the rubber meets the road. Pulling employees off the floor to train and educate them on safety is paramount. It can be both in the details of how to perform their specific jobs safely but also training them on having a more wholistic mindset:

a.Anticipating hazards before they occur (ex., a safe work environment to prevent slips, trips, and falls)

b.Having their eyes trained and open to the world around them in which they work (suspicious packages, human trafficking, harassment prevention, etc.). If you see something, say something.

Having managers deliver or support the delivery of training in a positive and caring manager sends meaningful messages to the organization, encouraging mutual support for shared safety & security objectives. This face-to-face time managers have with their employees also allows for an organic relationship to grow – it lets other concerns (either inside or outside of work) or career conversations occur without being forced, thus strengthening the bond between manager and employee.  

As I summarize and finish these thoughts, I’m excited to go back to our teams to have a deeper discussion on this. You truly can drive employee engagement by having a strong culture of workplace safety. 

When employees feel valued, listened to, and safe at work they contribute positively to the company and give their best efforts. Organizations that focus on workplace safety not only reduce the risk of costly accidents and injuries, but show that they care, creating a motivated and loyal team. 

This focus is a strategic decision that can have lasting effects on both employees and the organization.

Author Bio:

Matt Owens is the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Turnberry, a real estate company based in Aventura Florida with residential, commercial, retail, and hospitality divisions.