SHO-3: Where I should begin?

Why I choose Safety? To tell the truth,
a. I like to mingle with people... don't know why, maybe I inherited it from my parent :).
b. Furthermore, I like to share.... something like, you advise people... teach or educate people about the knowledge that you know... sharing your knowledge & experience and
c. I think, I want to work where hopefully it will become a good deed (pahala) for me.... since this world is just a temporary world & akhirat is a permanent world....

SO, if you have same passion with me as above, I believe SHO is the job that you can consider as a career. Maybe, some people think that money $$ is people's motivator to choose a career BUT for me that's not a career... it merely a "job"

SHO-2: Where I should begin?

Continue frm my previous blog... telling you the truth, I never knew that there is a post on Safety & Health at my 1st company that I worked... after 2 years working as Process & Equipment engineer, I think this is not the job that I want... my heart is empty at that time. I just trying to convince myself, just gain knowledge & skills as much as possible when you young. I have a good team at that time.

My first "real/formal exposure" involvement in OSH when I was selected by my boss as Safety & Health Committee (SHC) member. I just wondering at that time, why me (daaaa... maybe other people is busy & I'm the only one was free or it's another boring "jobscope" for other people..heheheh)?? I just take it without thinking a lot & hopefully my boss will see my commitment to take "additional task".... then I have good reason to promote or increase my salary (in my dream at that time, & of course not sincere enough to take additional task :).

After I joined SHC, then I can see the real "macro view" of OSH management. It really open my mind & heart when OSH talking about employee's safety, company's commitment & image, customer requirements, legal requirements, training, enforcement, ERP... wooowww, & interesting part (pssstt... you have a direct meeting with CEO!!)... nobody have that opportunity right!!.... this was my 1st stepping stone involved in OSH and it really make me to think thoroughly on my future career... this happen in year 2000...

Safety & Health Officer (SHO) - 1: Where I should begin?

The main idea why I introduce this topic is because I want to share when, where, why, whom, what, how, who... I start or become SHO. I read few comments/questions in the NIOSH Forum & also in SHO mailing list on the difficulty of some new comers to involved in OSH discipline... There will be few parts in this topic & feel free to discuss this matter openly & interllectually so that this blog can bring benefits to OSH practisioners...

Let me start on "why I want to become SHO"? Fyi, I start my career as Process & Equipment Engineer. When I joined a semiconductor industry as my 1st job after I completed my study in Mechanical Engineering 11 yrs ago, I just follow my heart. At that time, I just want to work because I need to earn money.... Don't want to burden my parent of course... At the same time, I'm still not sure what's my career path... at the same time, trying to understand some Safety Standards (more on SEMI & FM standards) when preparing the equipment specs.. furthermore, I'm incharged on the equipment that used lot hazardous chemicals e.g. Acids, Caustics & Solvents!!.... that was the first time I exposed on Safety!!

How to manage HSE? (Part 4)

I have been 2 months I didn't write anything in this blog... quite tight with my work & other part time work. When I presented a paper last week in COSH2009, I highlighted another approach on how we can integrate HSE into Supply Chain Management...

The basic principle is like "cradle to grave" concept.... the most important aspect in integrating HSE into Supply Chain Management is to understand what are the activities involved in the supply chain... from there, we can see how the whole processes/activities inter-related... when the processes/activities were lay out properly & clearly, then it is easy for us to prepare the HIRADC.

Using Michael Porter Model on the concept of value chain, HIRADC can be integrated into the model. This will help SHO to understand what are the critical activities that have some impacts to the production. By understanding this value chain, SHO can focus & assist management to minimize any incidents in this critical/value chain... I will add in the model in the next post..

How to manage HSE? (Part 3)

when we want to sell OSH to top management, we must try to sell OSH using "management terminology". An eye opener for top management normally related to any activities that can
1. increase profit
2. reduce cost
... a simple word that I can summarized is "money $$$"

One way that we can do is how we can INTEGRATE OSH into the company's risk management?? Figure below is the IOSH's vision & mission to support Business Risk Management process...

(Ref: Business Risk Managment, Getting Health & Safety Firmly In the Agenda by IOSH)

This is not an easy task for a normal SHO because we need to equip ourselves with another level of knowledge.... i.e. Business Management... as you can see from the above figure, managing OSH is dynamic & it changed as the way business is managed & focus. SO, it's important to understand the company's business operation... then from here, insya allah we can sell OSH more interesting manner + "talk the same language" with the management!!

How to manage HSE? (Part 2)

when I studied MBA, it really an eye opener for me on how to manage a business (for me, at least I have some basic on it..)... when we talked about business, "customer is the king"... any businesses MUST have customer.. without customer, or indirectly we call it as a demand, there will be no business... in supply chain management, it is always "customer-driven, customer- focused (Tony Hines)". So, how we can apply this in managing HSE?

The way I look HSE from business management of view, we need to ask ourself... who's HSE customer? for me, HSE is everybody's business... for me, it should be our responsibility from top management to employee... we need to take care our own Health & Safety... Management responsible for their sub-ordinates.... Employee responsible for their own & colleague's Health & Safety...then from here, SHO/HSE Engineer/HSE Executive etc will play their role as "coordinator" in managing HSE.... so, this is tally with OSH (Safety & Health Officer) Regulations on the responsibility of SHO i.e. as an advisor to the management...

BUT, we want to link it to the "business operation".... HSE MUST be part of the business activities... from the planning, operation, human resource, marketing, financial, etc... this can be done when all the stakeholders understand the importance of HSE in business....

How to manage HSE? (Part 1)

since I'm involved in HSE discipline 8 years ago, I keep reminding myself to see HSE from different perspectives... I have been working in production, facility, construction, quality, training, purchasing, little bit on HR.... it really open my eyes... managing HSE is not that easy... this is important to ensure how you can manage HSE challenges from different angles... I can say "thinking outside the box"

then, just throwing some questions to myself..
1. What's the best method/system/process to manage HSE?
2. How HSE supposed to be managed?
3. Where to start?
4. Who owned HSE in the organization?
5. How to sell HSE to management & employees?

Yesterday, received an info on SHO exam (paper 4) in Penang... looks like >60% failed the exam... I'm concern whether SHO candidates understand SHO modules correctly or not... it's important to teach/train the SHO candidates on how to manage HSE from macro point of view 1st. This is important, so that SHO has a clear "mind mapping" on how HSE is manage... what's Module 1, 2, 3 & 4... how this module interelated? why we must learn all these modules? how to understand the modules? etc...

After I completed my MBA, discussed with my friends, read books & newspapers etc managing HSE need some "touch" that I need to polish & learn daily... it's a skill, where I'm still searching for it... I will digest this issue slowly how we can manage HSE from multiple disciplines & suit it with out environment or situation at our workplace...