Challenging Workplace Rules

In todays episode, Colin wants to talk about rules; How do you introduce rules into the workplace? A lot of businesses have ‘the rules’, often referred to as ‘cardinal’, ‘golden’ or ‘workplace’ rules. There is some legislation that says you have to have these rules in place. Colin doesn’t disagree with these, but challenges you how you think about these rules specifically “because how a lot of people perceive the rules are ‘the rules are there and if somebody breaks these rules; we are going to discipline them” ‘If somebody goes against the rules, action should be taken’ is the default response. Colin wonders if the implication of ‘rules are there to penalise wrong doing’ dissuades change and deters conversation about variation or evolution of the rules currently in your workplace. Colin discusses the origin of these ‘cardinal’ rules, and their roots in safety and prevention of serious injury of death. He points out that these rules will most definitely highlight the high risk and dangerous areas of the Jobsite and workplace, and you need to pay attention to this.   “whenever a job is being undertaken (is formed around one of these rules)… then what we are going to do is we are going to make sure we have a real high level of protection for this job”But he implores you to take a closer look and scrutinise the job, the worker and the practices to make sure its workable and the rules work.   “Don’t turn these golden rules into something that you are going to punish people with. Actually turn these ‘golden’ rules, these ‘cardinal’ rules into something we are going to really challenge the way we do the job… That way, then its not gonna be a job where you can lose your job if you don’t follow it; We are looking at it ‘woah this is a job where you could lose your life’  and we are not prepared to let that happen.”   How can we do the jobs that are affected by these rules better & better & better?ABOUT HOST Colin Nottage  ‘Making health and safety as important as everything else we do.’  This is the belief that Colin is passionate about and through his consultancy Influential Management Group (IMG) is able to spread into industry.  Colin works at a strategic level with company owners and board members. He helps business leaders establish and achieve their health and safety ambitions.  He has developed a number of leading competency improvement programmes that are delivered across industry and his strengths are his ability to take a practical approach to problem solving and being able to liaise at all levels within an organisation.  Colin also runs a company that vets contractors online and a network that develops and support H&S consultancies to become better businesses.  Colin chairs the Construction Dust Partnership, -an industry collaboration directly involving many organisations, including the Health and Safety Executive.  He is a Post Graduate Tutor at Strathclyde University and a highly sought after health and safety speaker and trainer.  He has a Post Graduate Certificate in Safety and Risk management, an engineering degree and is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).