The Role of Health and Safety: What the Board and Executives Should Know

By Sarah Piddington, Wellbeing, Health and Safety Expert and Founder of Safe and Well Together

In today’s corporate landscape, the role of health and safety (H&S) is far more intricate than simply ensuring compliance with regulations and preventing workplace accidents. For boards and executives, understanding the full scope of H&S responsibilities is crucial to fostering a thriving, productive, and resilient organisation. This includes cultivating a psychologically safe workplace, which is increasingly recognised as a critical component of overall health and safety strategies.

Beyond Compliance: The Strategic Importance of H&S

Traditionally, H&S was often viewed through the narrow lens of regulatory compliance and accident prevention. However, modern executives must appreciate that an effective H&S strategy is integral to a company’s long-term success. Investing in robust H&S practices can lead to numerous benefits, including enhanced employee engagement, improved productivity, and a stronger reputation.

Executives should recognise that H&S is not merely an operational concern but a strategic one. By embedding H&S into the company’s core values, leaders can create a culture that prioritises the wellbeing of all employees, leading to sustainable business performance.

Psychological Safety: The Heart of a Thriving Workplace

One of the most vital aspects of modern H&S is the concept of psychological safety. Coined by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, psychological safety refers to an environment where employees feel safe expressing their opinions, sharing ideas, and making mistakes without fear of negative consequences. This is essential for fostering innovation, collaboration, and employee wellbeing.

Psychologically safe workplaces are characterised by open communication, mutual respect, and trust. Leaders play a pivotal role in creating and maintaining this environment. They must demonstrate empathy, actively listen to employees, and encourage a culture of continuous feedback. When employees feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to be engaged, committed, and productive.

The Board’s Role in Championing H&S

For boards, the oversight of H&S should be seen as a fundamental governance responsibility. This involves not only understanding the current state of H&S within the organisation but also actively championing initiatives that promote a culture of safety and wellbeing.

Board members should ensure that H&S is a standing agenda item in meetings and that there is regular reporting on H&S metrics. This includes both traditional safety indicators, such as accident rates, and metrics related to psychological safety, employee engagement scores and turnover rates.

Furthermore, boards should advocate for continuous H&S training and development. This helps ensure that all employees, from entry-level workers to senior executives, are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain a safe and healthy workplace.

The Executive’s Role in Implementing H&S Strategies

Executives are responsible for translating the board’s H&S vision into actionable strategies. This involves developing comprehensive H&S policies, implementing effective risk management processes, and fostering a culture that prioritises health and safety at every level of the organisation.

A critical component of this is leading by example. Executives must embody the principles of H&S in their daily actions and decisions. This can include participating in H&S training sessions, engaging with employees about their wellbeing, and visibly supporting H&S initiatives.

Executives should also ensure adequate resources are allocated to H&S programs. This includes investing in the latest safety technologies, providing access to mental health resources, and supporting initiatives that promote work-life balance.

The Critical Role of H&S Teams

It is crucial for boards and executives to understand that wellbeing responsibilities should not be solely delegated to HR departments. While HR plays a vital role in employee wellbeing, the expertise and oversight of dedicated H&S teams are indispensable. H&S professionals possess the specialised knowledge and skills to address health and safety issues comprehensively.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigates both health and safety concerns, emphasising the need for H&S teams to remain actively involved. By collaborating closely with HR, H&S teams can ensure that health initiatives are well-intentioned, effectively implemented, and compliant with regulatory standards.

Integrating Mental Health into H&S

Integrating mental health into the broader H&S framework is essential for creating a holistic approach to employee wellbeing. Mental health issues, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, can have significant impacts on employee performance and safety. Therefore, it is crucial that mental health is given equal priority alongside physical safety.

Executives should promote mental health awareness and provide access to support services, such as counselling and employee assistance programs. Additionally, implementing policies that encourage a healthy work-life balance, such as flexible working arrangements, can help mitigate the risk of burnout and other mental health issues.

Measuring the Impact of H&S Initiatives

To ensure the effectiveness of H&S initiatives, it is important to establish clear metrics and regularly assess performance. This can include traditional safety metrics, such as incident rates and lost-time injuries, as well as measures related to psychological safety, such as employee surveys and feedback mechanisms.

By continuously monitoring and evaluating H&S performance, executives can identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to enhance their H&S strategies.

Conclusion

The role of H&S in today’s corporate environment extends far beyond regulatory compliance. For boards and executives, understanding and prioritising H&S is essential for cultivating a safe, productive, and resilient organisation. By championing psychological safety, integrating mental health into H&S strategies, and ensuring the active involvement of H&S teams alongside HR, leaders can create a workplace where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.

As the corporate world continues to evolve, the importance of H&S will only grow. By staying ahead of the curve and embedding H&S into the very fabric of the organisation, boards and executives can ensure long-term success and sustainability.

Sarah Piddington, Wellbeing, Health and Safety Expert and Founder of Safe and Well Together

Sarah Piddington is the dynamic force behind Safe and Well Together. A wellbeing, health and safety expert, Sarah transforms workplaces into hubs of wellbeing and high performance. Born in Australia, her journey from childhood challenges such as adoption and bullying to overcoming a life-threatening illness has shaped her resilience and purpose. This drive led Sarah to dedicate her career to empowering and safeguarding others.

After relocating to the UK, Sarah found her passion in health and safety, aligning perfectly with her core values. Over her 20+year career, she’s worked with major organisations, realising that true wellbeing goes beyond physical safety. It includes mental health, psychology, and neuroscience. Seeing a leadership gap, Sarah integrated leadership development into her practice, empowering leaders to truly care for their teams.

In 2011, she launched Sarah Piddington Consulting, rebranding to Safe and Well Together (SAWT) in 2018. Sarah has collaborated with over 100 top-tier clients, including BT, Monzo, Deliveroo, and British Transport Police. Her engaging workshops, backed by neuroscience, offer practical tools to build resilience, foster psychological safety, and boost performance. Sarah’s philosophy is simple: if you improve how you look after your people — your people will look after your customers better — and you’ll make more money.

Sarah is equipped with qualifications, including a Level 6 Occupational Health and Safety Diploma with certifications in psychological trauma management, complemented by continuous engagement with psychology and neuroscience education. As a recognised thought leader, Sarah has been featured on Sky News, BBC Radio, and NHK Japan, and contributed to the UK bestseller Success Secrets of Disruptors.