told the audience at last October’s National Safety Congress in San Diego that
he “frankly doesn’t believe” in the national injury rates compiled from employer record keeping. Readers surveyed
by ISHN are divided on the accuracy of
record keeping: 58 percent believe the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) injury
and illness reports are accurate, and 42
percent do not.
This is one of the more troubling findings from the two research projects, and
warrants further investigation by AIHA,
OSHA and the safety societies.
Deep-rooted Optimism
On a brighter note, the clouds hanging
over the professional landscape do not
darken what seems to be an innate positive outlook among pros. In ISHN’s
White Paper survey, 28 percent of respondents believe conditions affecting
job security, the effectiveness of their
safety and health programs, and the
profit/loss of their organizations will
improve in 2011, and 35 percent are
cautiously optimistic about improvements. Only 23 percent believe 2011 will
provide the same business conditions
that existed in 2010, and only 14 percent are pessimistic, believing conditions could get worse or that things—job
security, pay, program effectiveness,
company finances—will never return to
prerecession highs.
Similar optimism and resilience is evident in the AIHA survey. Almost half of
those surveyed (45 percent) say the level
of their effectiveness as professionals
will increase in 2011, and only 10 percent expect it to decline. This bullish attitude exists despite uncertain resource
support. In 2011, 23 percent of those
surveyed by AIHA say budgets and
staffs will increase; an equal percentage
of 23 percent say support will decline.
Forty-six percent report no change in
resource support.
A similar story of spirit and savvy
emerges from ISHN’s White Paper survey. Only 14 percent say budgets and
staffs will increase in 2011, while 25
percent are looking at declining resources, and 60 percent confront stagnant resource support. Still, 40 percent
report the level of their effectiveness as
a professional will increase in 2011;
only eight percent say it will falter.
First, most of those surveyed are 45
years of age or older and have more
than 20 years’ experience in the field.
They have learned to be resourceful and
possess a sense of confidence that can
only accrue through years of having
“been there, done that, seen that.”
Second, the AIHA survey details the
many ways professionals can remain
effective by maintaining their current
body of knowledge: 59 percent attend
one-day conferences; 47 percent em-
phasize independent reading; 46 per-
cent conduct Internet research; and 43
percent take advantage of distance
learning and self-study programs. In
addition, 41 percent of AIHA survey
respondents express an interest in ob-
taining the Certified Safety Professional
(CSP) credential.
This determination to keep current with
the types of knowledge required to be an
effective professional, and even expand
one’s knowledge base by acquiring additional certifications, is impressive when
taking into account that the majority of
those surveyed are older than 45. It appears professionals embrace the concept
of lifelong learning and being responsible
for one’s own career and future. And it’s
clear they are knowledge workers. Being
a knowledge worker in this post-manu-facturing, knowledge-centric economy,
and being self-reliant in terms of personal development, could help explain
the positive outlook most professionals
have—and might explain why many professionals become independent, enterprising consultants.
The AIHA survey uncovers another
reason for professionals’ optimism in the
face of the new normal: the nature and
motivation of pros. The AIHA survey
asked a probing question: “What was
your main motivation/reason for choos-
ing this profession?” None of the respon-
dents say they got into the field to climb
the corporate ladder (a motive that
would be deflated by corporate downsiz-
ing and consolidations, pay cuts, and the
lack of loyalty between employers and
employees).
Organizational Obstacles
The safety-focused professionals surveyed in ISHN’s White Paper research
also describe their work as a passionate
“calling” more than a career. And this is
perhaps the reason they can endure
some trying organizational challenges.
Almost half (49 percent) of those surveyed by ISHN believe most executives
“think they ‘get’ safety but in reality do
not, yet nevertheless try to convey that
they are among the converted.” Forty-
