Abstract
When it comes to health and safety in the workplace, oftentimes organizations make a substantial effort to only meet their legal obligations by producing the required paperwork to demonstrate they are in compliance. This "ticking the box" approach not only causes a potential misrepresentation of compliance, but generally fails to meet the right "duty of care" for the health and safety of employees. Regulations and the activities of regulators is good as it generates a minimum level of focus on health and safety, but reliance solely on norms or compliance with norms may give organizations a false sense of security that they are adequately caring for their employees, when they in fact, may not be. And, limiting health and safety to this kind of approach leaves no room for an organization to take the time to realize what a truly "HSE-Driven" organization should be doing to implement the right Duty of Care.
This is about right motivation. Managers should not be closing gaps only in fear of legalities. Both a corporate and personal moral responsibility, as well as genuine care for employees, takes its roots from the belief that each and every employee is doing things safely, on an unconditional basis. By doing right (safe) things at the right time an organization can efficiently get to the point where it is simultaneously in good standing with the law and genuinely protects the health and safety of each employee and the community.
The paper provides examples as to how Baker Hughes naturally lives according to globally accepted health and safety standards and practices, to not only meet its compliance requirement, but to simultaneously maintain its status of a fair and conscientious employer that can demonstrate its responsibility and care to its employees, customers, and the society.
