This document discusses concepts and strategies for developing an effective Safety Management System (SMS). It emphasizes that an SMS requires management commitment, defined safety responsibilities, and employee participation. It also stresses the importance of collecting operational data, training employees, and continuously evaluating and improving the SMS. Both standardized and customized approaches to developing an SMS are discussed, along with potential strengths and weaknesses of each.

1. Please respond with. 250. words Discuss how the concepts and
Please respond with. 250. wordsDiscuss how the concepts and strategies presented in this
course can positively impact your future professional, personal, or academic pursuits. Give a
specific example of a concept or learning activity that you found most useful or
enlightening, and explain why.In this Unit, we will discuss some elements of evaluating a
Safety Management System(SMS) Effectiveness and Planning.We have covered many areas
in this course that will help Leadership and Safety professionals to identify gaps in a safety
process compared to proven and accepted guidelines.Management commitment and
Leadership are from the top Leadership down through all levels of the organization. The
Leadership Team provides the vision and mission for the SMS and provides adequate
resources to ensure controls are in place.An effective SMS does more than list and string
together various safety-related programs. An effective SMS provides a road map to follow
using a set of structured process elements. Each component provides an opportunity for an
organization to determine the scope, mission, and level of the desired process.Change is
HardOne underlying reason cultural change often fails to succeed is that the new situation is
unknown to the Leadership and employees. When this is added to the existing beliefs that
the current situation is as good as it gets, there is little need to change, and failure is almost
inevitable. If the problems lie with Leadership, then there is little hope because they will
enforce the old situation, which feels most comfortable, on the most proactive of employees.
(“Safety culture: The Ultimate Goal,” 2001)Defined and well-communicated safety
responsibilities for all levels of the organization are critical in the beginning phases of
developing an SMS.The SMS should have a feedback loop that communicates to the
leadership team the status of the various programs and systems required to control hazards
and associated risk.Establishing a structured method to gather and maintain information
and data specific to an operational environment increases the ability to influence and design
safety performance requirements and job practices.Employee participation in the SMS
development will help ensure it fits within the existing organizational culture. Allowing
employees to assist in developing an SMS is essential to increase ownership and buy-
in.Safety responsibilities outline expectations about performance and accountability among
the leadership team, employees, contractors, and site visitors.Effective planning and design
of the workplace and job tasks are an ongoing concern for an organization. The collection of
operational and risk-related information is critical to the SMS.Employee training and
education programs designed and implemented correctly will help to ensure all employees
demonstrate and understand they are fully aware of the hazards and associated risks

2. inherent in the operations.Pros and Cons of a Standardized SMSEvery organization has
different structures, skill sets, mandates, and budgetary needs requiring various
approaches. There are often differences in the perception of what an effective SMS should
be and how it is to be implemented.How the SMS is implemented and managed is not
through “one size fits all.” The Why of the SMS should be made clear in each area. Individual
departments may have different concerns and requirements that should be understood
when implementing an SMS. While an organization has an overarching culture,
departments, due to their specialization, can have “mini-climates” of the culture. Each area
believes its expertise is the most essential, and conflicts can quickly develop.Customizing
the SMS and keeping its elements flexible without losing sight of its mission is an ongoing
task. The objective of SMS implementation is to determine what will work best and what
meets the organization’s specific needs.SMS measurements should be readable and easily
interpreted by the intended audience without losing sight of the complexity of the SMS. The
measurement design should generate comprehensive information or data providing valid
evidence of the effectiveness of the SMS.The “Cons” of the SMSThe Cons of implementing a
specific SMS can include but are not limited to the following:It may be perceived as too
time-consuming and the why of the SMS not understood. The traditional methods of safety
program success are dependent on OSHA recordability and the frequency of loss events. If
the perception of “no loss=no risk” is present, the attitude may be “we don’t need to do
this!” even if associated risks are high.Leading indicators are not defined as discussed in
Unit IV.Safety elements appear to be a “canned” approach that is not integrated with other
management processes but does not guide the organization.A false sense of safety can
develop if the measurement of its elements and processes is not conscientiously and
consistently followed. A simple, comprehensive, and routine appraisal system should be in
place to ensure “pencil whipping” (Pencilwhip, 2016) (false documentation) is not
occurring.Consequences are not in place for both good and poor implementation. If some
form of valued recognition is not present, employees may see the process as just another
administrative task or paperwork.It is not customized to the organization and does not
consider the organizational structure and existing culture, which may reject, or worse, only
espouse but not truly internalize the process.Leadership FailureChanges in top Leadership,
or Leadership’s priorities, at critical periods, may prove fatal to the successful transition to a
higher safety culture. A cultural shift is drastic and never takes place overnight. If a
champion or change agent, as discussed in Unit II, leaves, there is often no one to take up the
fight, and the crucial top-down impetus is lost.But even without a Leadership change, there
are two threats to the successful transition to a higher level of safety culture. One is a
success, the other failure.Success. What is considered an effective process, tool, or system
may be dropped because a problem is perceived to have gone away. Leadership ‘take their
eyes off the ball’ and downgrade efforts because the perception is that the issue is resolved.
(Hudson, 1999)Failure. Old-fashioned approaches may be revived because they worked
before.In both considerations, the new and often fragile beliefs and practices may not have
become sufficiently internalized. (“Safety culture: The Ultimate Goal,” 2001)Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) AnalysisOne area that is not discussed in
the textbook and should be an essential part of an evaluation of an SMS is a method

3. to:Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.Determine the current state so
new, more effective goals can be made for the future. (State of Alaska, 2008)Identify
internal and external factors that may influence an SMS performance.Explore areas for
change and growth, goal setting, and strategic planning.(SWOT Analysis, Questions for
Conducting an Analysis with Your Team, n.d.)By completing a SWOT analysis matrix, you
can take corrective measures to transform a weakness into a strength. For a well-thought-
out response, it is recommended that a SWOT is developed before implementing an
SMS.The information derived from the SWOT can determine the next level and help to
identify the potential gaps.Time Management Techniques“Change the way you look at
things, and the things you look at change.”– Wayne W. DyerAs a safety professional, one
needs to understand how to manage time. Our professional and personal lives are not
always static by nature! There is always some degree of flux and change that we must
consider. To deal with this flux and change, we must learn how to manage our time to be as
productive as possible.Covey discussed the drain of attention and focused on
important/non-urgent activities in his classic “Seven Habits of Highly Successful People.”
(Covey, 2013) Too many assigned roles and responsibilities can cause a drift away from the
primary goals and objectives of the task at hand. (Manuele, 2020)Time Management
Matrix“What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.”Dwight
D. Eisenhower“Time management is the ability to use one’s time effectively to complete
various tasks.” (Chaneski, 2017) “There are some tested, basic time- management
techniques that can guide us, and one of these can be credited to Dwight Eisenhower.”
(Chaneski, 2017)Dwight D. Eisenhower is known for his decision-making strategy for acting
and organizing his tasks using a simple Time Management Matrix. This statement parallels
the Covey time management grid, which is an effective method of managing specific
priorities. (Covey, 2013)Covey believed long-term achievement is attained in the
“Important/Not Urgent” quadrant. The Important/Urgent Quadrant can waste immediate
time and is not typically part of any planning process. (Covey, 1990) Quadrants in the non-
important areas take time away from developing specific required activities that reside in
the important/not urgent quadrant.To utilize the matrix, begin by making an inventory of
all collected information, no matter how relevant or irrelevant it is believed to be. Once
collected, review each piece of information and place the appropriate information into one
of the four quadrants by priority. Once categories are defined, the list of items will illustrate
what information has the highest priority. This “upfront” decision process, combined with
an ongoing review, will refine the information requiring action.After figuring out what
matters and which issues need to be addressed, you need to find the time to deal with these
tasks.Communication EffortsAs discussed in Unit II, Understanding how communications
flow through an organization ensures that the intended hazard, risk, and control messages
are transmitted to the correct decision-makers and affected employees. The leadership
team and employees gain core information from a shared, collaborative SMS effort, and the
SMS becomes more valuable as a result of the increased personal involvement. (Building an
Effective Health and Safety Management System, 2009)The SMS parallels the concepts and
formats used in a general business management approach. The intent is to mirror the
overall business strategy objectives and be a part of the operational philosophy used by an

4. organization.Manuele (2020) states that “In accord with the PDCA concept, the overriding
theme of the Management Review is to achieve continual improvement. Thus, having action
items for improvement in the review process and follow-through is vital.” (Manuele,
2020)ReferenceBuilding an Effective Health and Safety Management System.
(2009).Chaneski, W. S. (2017). Time Management – How Effective are You? Modern
Machine Shop, October, 36–38. https://www.mmsonline.com/columns/time-management-
how-effective-are-youClear, J. (2014). Use the “Eisenhower Box” to Stop Wasting Time and
Be More Productive. Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233054Covey,
S. R. (1990). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change.
A Fireside Book, Simon and Schuster, Inc., pp. 151.Covey, S. R. (2013). The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People : Powerful Lessons in Personal Change (25th Anniversary Edition). Simon
and Schuster.Hudson, P. (1999). Defense Technical Information Center Compilation Part
Notice Safety Culture – Theory and Practice. 12.Manuele, F. A. (2020). Advanced safety
management: Focusing on Z10.0, 45001 and serious injury prevention (Wiley, Ed.; 3rd ed.).
https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781119605409Morris, J. (2021). How to Set
Short-Term Career Goals. WikiJob. https://www.wikijob.co.uk/content/jobs-and-
careers/career-planning/short-term-career-goalsPencilwhip. (2016).Personal SWOT
Analysis Video. (n.d.). MindTools.Com. Retrieved March 7, 2021, from
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/videos/personal-swot-transcript.htmSafety culture:
The Ultimate Goal. (2001). Flight Safety Australia.State of Alaska. (2008). Conducting an
Environmental Scan and SWOT Analysis. State of Alaska, Department of Administration,
Division of Personnel & LaborRelations, Public Doman.
http://doa.alaska.gov/dop/fileadmin/StatewidePlanning/pdf/WorkforcePlanningEnviron
mentalScanandSWOTAnalysis.pdfSWOT analysis. (n.d.). CMS.Gov. Retrieved October 4,
2021, from https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/American-Indian-Alaska-
Native/AIAN/LTSS-TA-Center/planning/step-4-select-modelsSWOT Analysis A tool for
making better business decisions. (n.d.). 1. http://bit.ly/34xNNbESWOT Analysis, Use the
“Insert Citation” button to add citations to this document.. (n.d.). SWOT Analysis A Tool for
Making Better Business Decisions United States Department of Agriculture Risk
Management Agency. Retrieved September 1, 2019, from