Beware moving boundaries!

If occupational safety and health is be recognised as a distinct profession, some believe we must jealously guard our topic area.

In recent years, we have seen people professionals, risk managers, corporate and social responsibility practitioners all being active in the field of health and safety, particularly in larger organisations.

But does it matter? Should we be thinking of natural overlaps rather than distinctive borders? These are important questions that go to the very heart of the profession’s identity and are repeatedly asked questions as the world around us changes.

Extended

When new business challenges arise, employers have three options: recruit, pay for consultancy, or require one of their existing staff to take on additional responsibility.

It is why many OSH professionals often find their role descriptions extended to include business risk, quality, environment, security, sustainability and so on. Indeed, the safety profession itself has evolved. Here are three quick examples to illustrate this.

Team work

Perhaps protecting a definitive boundary around the profession is not necessary. Modern business problems are usually complex, ambiguous, and beset by uncertainty.

It has never been more important for organisations to assemble project teams with representatives across disciplines to solve them.

In today’s world, then, it may be counterproductive to argue whether boundaries have been crossed.

While continuing to guard the core skills and knowledge of our profession, perhaps we should be less worried about where our profession stops, and another begins.

Collaborative working means we need to be comfortable with sharing boundaries and be willing to work in ‘no man’s land’.

After all, not only is this where we will find the more intellectual and interesting challenges, it also provides a forum for us to demonstrate the added value we bring to our employers.