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Within the Engineered Safety Group we have discussed for years the role of engineers in keeping people from harm.  We single out things like safe design and the use of safety processes with an engineering context that improve safety for workers and the public.  Architects, medical staff and safety professionals can positively impact safety of course, but engineers, through the use of maths and sciences, bring a different approach to both personal safety and process safety.

We are interested in what other engineers think about this topic?  In your experiences, what are the special things, attitudes, thinking processes or even behaviors do engineers bring to the safety table that other disciplines or professions do not?

Hi Tom,

I think you pose a great question.

On the surface, I think a calculated approach to risk management is more natural in the engineering mindset. This allows us to approach risk management in an efficient assembly line fashion.

However, the biggest and most overlooked aspects of safety performance is ultimately in organisational culture and leadership. 

I have written a couple of articles on the topic. This one focuses on the HR function in building a safety first culture in a modern organisation; How can HR Managers Support 'Zero Harm' in Construction - A Research Article - EngiMBA

This one focuses on safety culture itself, and how its built: What does the 1980's crime wave in New York City and Australian Construction Sites have in common? - EngiMBA

Within the Engineered Safety Group we have discussed for years the role of engineers in keeping people from harm.  We single out things like safe design and the use of safety processes with an engineering context that improve safety for workers and the public.  Architects, medical staff and safety professionals can positively impact safety of course, but engineers, through the use of maths and sciences, bring a different approach to both personal safety and process safety.

We are interested in what other engineers think about this topic?  In your experiences, what are the special things, attitudes, thinking processes or even behaviors do engineers bring to the safety table that other disciplines or professions do not?

Hi Tom,

I think you pose a great question.

On the surface, I think a calculated approach to risk management is more natural in the engineering mindset. This allows us to approach risk management in an efficient assembly line fashion.

However, the biggest and most overlooked aspects of safety performance is ultimately in organisational culture and leadership. 

I have written a couple of articles on the topic. This one focuses on the HR function in building a safety first culture in a modern organisation; How can HR Managers Support 'Zero Harm' in Construction - A Research Article - EngiMBA

This one focuses on safety culture itself, and how its built: What does the 1980's crime wave in New York City and Australian Construction Sites have in common? - EngiMBA

Within the Engineered Safety Group we have discussed for years the role of engineers in keeping people from harm.  We single out things like safe design and the use of safety processes with an engineering context that improve safety for workers and the public.  Architects, medical staff and safety professionals can positively impact safety of course, but engineers, through the use of maths and sciences, bring a different approach to both personal safety and process safety.

We are interested in what other engineers think about this topic?  In your experiences, what are the special things, attitudes, thinking processes or even behaviors do engineers bring to the safety table that other disciplines or professions do not?

Hi Tom,

I think you pose a great question.

On the surface, I think a calculated approach to risk management is more natural in the engineering mindset. This allows us to approach risk management in an efficient assembly line fashion.

However, the biggest and most overlooked aspects of safety performance is ultimately in organisational culture and leadership. 

I have written a couple of articles on the topic. This one focuses on the HR function in building a safety first culture in a modern organisation; How can HR Managers Support 'Zero Harm' in Construction - A Research Article - EngiMBA

This one focuses on safety culture itself, and how its built: What does the 1980's crime wave in New York City and Australian Construction Sites have in common? - EngiMBA

Within the Engineered Safety Group we have discussed for years the role of engineers in keeping people from harm.  We single out things like safe design and the use of safety processes with an engineering context that improve safety for workers and the public.  Architects, medical staff and safety professionals can positively impact safety of course, but engineers, through the use of maths and sciences, bring a different approach to both personal safety and process safety.

We are interested in what other engineers think about this topic?  In your experiences, what are the special things, attitudes, thinking processes or even behaviors do engineers bring to the safety table that other disciplines or professions do not?

Within the Engineered Safety Group we have discussed for years the role of engineers in keeping people from harm.  We single out things like safe design and the use of safety processes with an engineering context that improve safety for workers and the public.  Architects, medical staff and safety professionals can positively impact safety of course, but engineers, through the use of maths and sciences, bring a different approach to both personal safety and process safety.

We are interested in what other engineers think about this topic?  In your experiences, what are the special things, attitudes, thinking processes or even behaviors do engineers bring to the safety table that other disciplines or professions do not?

Hi Tom

From the built environment perspective, I have the following views:

Building / Structure Safety

Being maths and science based decision makers, engineers bring a balanced view to using new technologies, as they can assess them impartially, based on their performance. They can also bring these new technologies into practice using balanced scientific method, for example, small scale piloting to learn, followed by full scale application.

User safety during construction

If one takes a hierarchy of controls approach to managing a hazard in construction, the engineer has a significant role to play in finding ways to eliminate, substitute and also specify engineering controls to manage hazards. I suspect the typical engineering trait of scientific curiosity prepares you well to look outside of traditional (and possible hazardous) ways of doing things; to find / trial and implement new methods and technologies.

kind regards

Martin

Within the Engineered Safety Group we have discussed for years the role of engineers in keeping people from harm.  We single out things like safe design and the use of safety processes with an engineering context that improve safety for workers and the public.  Architects, medical staff and safety professionals can positively impact safety of course, but engineers, through the use of maths and sciences, bring a different approach to both personal safety and process safety.

We are interested in what other engineers think about this topic?  In your experiences, what are the special things, attitudes, thinking processes or even behaviors do engineers bring to the safety table that other disciplines or professions do not?

Within the Engineered Safety Group we have discussed for years the role of engineers in keeping people from harm.  We single out things like safe design and the use of safety processes with an engineering context that improve safety for workers and the public.  Architects, medical staff and safety professionals can positively impact safety of course, but engineers, through the use of maths and sciences, bring a different approach to both personal safety and process safety.

We are interested in what other engineers think about this topic?  In your experiences, what are the special things, attitudes, thinking processes or even behaviors do engineers bring to the safety table that other disciplines or professions do not?

Hi Tom / Michael / James

I thought I would attach a practical example of how I try and communicate the interaction (in the built environment) between the responsibilities / capabilities of the design engineer and the end user. This example refers to minimizing respirable crystalline silica dust emissions during building.

kind regards

Martin

Within the Engineered Safety Group we have discussed for years the role of engineers in keeping people from harm.  We single out things like safe design and the use of safety processes with an engineering context that improve safety for workers and the public.  Architects, medical staff and safety professionals can positively impact safety of course, but engineers, through the use of maths and sciences, bring a different approach to both personal safety and process safety.

We are interested in what other engineers think about this topic?  In your experiences, what are the special things, attitudes, thinking processes or even behaviors do engineers bring to the safety table that other disciplines or professions do not?

A very nice case study, thanks Martin. I have archived a copy.

Hi Tom / Michael / James

I thought I would attach a practical example of how I try and communicate the interaction (in the built environment) between the responsibilities / capabilities of the design engineer and the end user. This example refers to minimizing respirable crystalline silica dust emissions during building.

kind regards

Martin

Within the Engineered Safety Group we have discussed for years the role of engineers in keeping people from harm.  We single out things like safe design and the use of safety processes with an engineering context that improve safety for workers and the public.  Architects, medical staff and safety professionals can positively impact safety of course, but engineers, through the use of maths and sciences, bring a different approach to both personal safety and process safety.

We are interested in what other engineers think about this topic?  In your experiences, what are the special things, attitudes, thinking processes or even behaviors do engineers bring to the safety table that other disciplines or professions do not?