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Safety officer succession planning

Lab Safety Advisor, May 8, 2007

As baby boomer generation workers leave the workplace in the next 10 years, they will be replaced with a new generation of young workers who are beginning their careers and thus possess relatively less health and safety experience.

It is the wise manager who pairs up an experienced safety manager with an individual who shows promise and is willing to learn the ins and outs of laboratory safety. This may be a person on the safety committee who already displays interest in learning new skills.

The time overlap should be about two years and include working as a team on projects affecting safety in the laboratory.

While the experienced safety officer will continue the job on a full-time basis, the novice can be given project work and receive coaching from the sidelines.

All too often an inexperienced safety officer is thrown into unfamiliar situations and may not make appropriate judgments.

By working as a team, the novice can learn the new skills and the veteran can leave the workplace and not worry if it is in good hands.

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