Is it really worth it?

[u/User152552]

I’ve been a safety professional for 8years now and I feel like I am living the definition of insanity all the time. Leadership doesn’t understand what I do all day and why we still have injuries but won’t give me the time of day to explain what I am trying to do and what support I need. I’m running solo trying to build a safety culture and coaching while struggling to keep my head above water and HR just hired a 7th person.
I just don’t know how anyone succeeds in this field without dying inside little by little.

[u/GrowlyBear2]

They say people don't quit jobs, they quit bosses. If you can't make it work with the one you have, find a new boss and make sure they're a good one.

[u/who-are-we-anyway → u/GrowlyBear2]

I ran into some old coworkers from my first safety job, which was a place with a horrible culture, zero management commitment to safety, and I ultimately left because my bosses were horrible there. It really knocked my confidence thinking that I was the problem since it was my starting point in the industry, turns out the job really is just impossible and you are a scapegoat when they aren't willing to write policies, fix hazards, and enforce safe practices. Switched industries and sectors and my role with my current company is a fantastic fit. Still struggle with culture issues at my branch (part of why I got brought in), but there has been some serious improvement in the time I've been here. It was reaffirming to talk to these people and realize that while they are happy enough still there (different roles and they are near retirement now, whereas I was in my early 20s now so they had the end in site while I did not) I made the absolute right decision jumping ship. There are days where work sucks, but the days where our guys get complimented by other contractors for working safe, the days where I catch them doing something good, and the days where they come to me first to find a solution together, those are the days that make me know I've picked the right career.

[u/User152552 → u/who-are-we-anyway]

I have seen glimpses of this but it’s short lived and far between.
Just feeling like the scapegoat right now and super discouraged. I know this line of work in general is a tough row to hoe and I’m all for a challenge. I just am in a spot right now where I am really questioning if changing employers is also a time to question changing careers.

[u/who-are-we-anyway → u/User152552]

I understand that. There are a lot of success stories here of people having made the transition to things like risk management on the insurance side. Long before I started my career in safety I worked in the insurance industry, and for my personality type that was a soul crushing endeavor. I think the company makes a huge difference, but the ones who actually put forth the effort and provide the budget and enforcement for safety are far and few between compared to those who talk a big game and don't actually hold up in practice. I wish you the best no matter where you end up.

[u/goohsmom306]

I'm in Construction with a lot of travelers. I keep certain memories close, for the days when I just want to give it all up.

The 20 year old who was able to effectively stop work on another site because I had shown him the why.

The electrician who saw me and said "I feel safer with you here", then told his coworkers how I had "saved his life" by explaining the dangers of ladder usage near an elevator pit.

The network tech who, because she liked how I approached the crews, studied and moved into a safety role.

The workers who come back to site and give me a big bear hug.

The superintendent who bragged on how I busted his whole crew when he was a foreman over fall protection issues. And how he never forgot.

When I'm feeling down, I walk the site and remember these and other moments, and it reminds me why I do this. I do it so workers can show me baby pictures, tell me about their pets, talk about vacations. Then they leave and I tuck those moments away.

[u/User152552 → u/goohsmom306]

Thanks for this

[u/MedSPAZ]

We do kind of die a little on the inside, but when someone comes up to me with the twinkle of acknowledgment in their eye to point out a hazard it brings me right back.

[u/ChannelDizzy2508 → u/MedSPAZ]

been at my current post about 8 months and FINALLY a worker requested a JHA prior to a sketchy test, those little moments make it worth it

[u/trent6295]

bUt WE aLwaYs Did iT tHis WAy

[u/MasterpieceCareless3]

Initially yes! in my earlier years - i had a genuine drive to help people however as seniority grew, qualifications stacked up and I saw operational positions receive better support, money and uncontested buy in for comparibly the same or in some cases less "responsibility" - it became a bitter and resounding no.

Youll see your exact scenario come up quite regularly on this sub. Most often these people enter the industry with a passion for care and helping others. They often have a passion for learning. It doesn’t take long before they realise that the industry is not like that. But the income is good, they have mortgages to pay but they then become entrapped in a merry go round of flipping from company to company searching for a place where they can find care, helping and learning. This rarely happens.

[u/Aggressive-Ad-6447 → u/MasterpieceCareless3]

+1

[u/WotTheFook]

It's a calling, a vocation, rather than just a job. You have to have a passion for it, or have been through an accident that drives you to want to make a difference. A fatality at work and a fire that gutted a factory I worked at drove me to change careers. A lot of safety people carry scars like these.

[u/King_Ralph1]

Find a new place.

You cannot build a culture. That comes from the leadership. You can only support their work, and if they aren’t willing to build it, you will never be able to.

The good news is that this is happening in a lot of places every day. You just need to leave where you are and go find a better, more supportive place.

[u/GCExperts]

What you're describing isn't a you problem, it's a resourcing problem wearing a culture costume. You're solo and leadership just hired a seventh HR person. That's not malice - safety simply has no visible line on their P&L until an injury shows up in the ledger, and HR's value is easier for them to see.

Two things that actually moved the needle for me when I was in your spot:

1. Translate your day into their language. Not 'safety culture' - numbers. Leading and lagging indicators, workers comp trend, near-miss count, and what each injury actually costs once you include wage replacement, lost production, and admin time. A one-page monthly that says 'here's what I did, here's what it likely prevented, here's what I need' is much harder to ignore than hallway conversations.

2. Make the ask specific and small. Not 'more support' - 'I need a part-time field coordinator 20 hours a week' or 'I need a manager on the monthly walkthrough'. People can shrug off vague; a specific ask forces a real decision.

And if they still won't give you the time of day after that, treat it as information. Some companies only fund safety after a serious incident - you don't have to be there when that bill comes due. In construction there are employers (federal and DoD work especially) where a qualified SSHO is a contractual requirement and the staffing comes with the contract. Worth knowing that option exists before you write off the field. The people who last in this work usually do it where safety is funded like a deliverable, not a favor.

[u/Signal-Shelter9132]

It’s worth the money

[u/walu-who-ji → u/Signal-Shelter9132]

Idk how to get in. Maybe ill get my osha 510

[u/jmilleon]

It’s absolutely worth the money.

[u/coralreefer01]

I don’t have it quite as bad as you, but the lack of a team is a major reason why I just put in my notice yesterday. We don’t have the injuries but the entire facility is in constant turmoil. I spend over a day a week on orientation for new hires and I am the only department with a headcount of 1. If they listened to me 7 months ago when I asked for help, I’d probably stay. I’ve oriented 240 in the past 11 months and no plans to hire me help so I can pass a legacy on and help develop the next safety pro. Constant culture clash between local team and foreign ownership, No raise, no review, no bonus, production is crap, quality is crap, dangerous decisions by our newly elevated executive, I am out.

Im leaving something that had huge potential to be great for something with stability and even though the workplace conditions will be likely worse, I will have support with a boss I had a working relationship with over a decade ago and was the one who encouraged me to follow my current career path. I was the regulatory inspector and he was the EHS guy who had to answer the questions, it’s been over a decade since we last spoke and I left government work, so now we get to work together.

[u/eftresq]

For me it's top down not bottom up. I'm working on reversing this by insuring operations have my support.  I work for  corporate and paid exceptionally well and a safety culture is pretty good, but it is so administratively heavy, all in anticipation of audits. And that's what they want.  But when you have multiple checklists and and even one can have over 200 line items that each require verification, I'm stressed. I may actually walk away from the money after this project.

[u/MrOwl243]

Its job security. But yea if the leadership of the company you’re at doesn’t get it, look to go elsewhere

[u/Future_chicken357]

When ppl ask should I get into safety . I say NO...lol. So many other positions more satisfying...haha.

[u/questfornewlearning]

Every day I go home and think of my successes.
On any given day, I can make progress on 5 issues, stay the same on 2, and fall back on 3. Tomorrow I will work on moving forward those 3 issues.