ORLANDO--Safety managers need to set the bar high if they want their programs to improve, according to Peter Furst, director of contracting at the Liberty Mutual Group.

At the National Safety Council's Congress & Expo, Furst said there are five pillars of a highly effective safety management process. He outlined them as:

• A value-based organization culture
  
• Principle-centered leadership
  
• Business and operational integration
  
• Innovation, growth, and learning
  
• Metrics

Furst said in a value-based culture, management is committed to safety and doesn't permit workers to do unsafe acts. Organizational justice, mutual trust and respect, and excellent communication and cooperation are components of a value-based culture.

Principle-centered leadership is ethical, models the way, inspires a shared vision, leads change, and enables and encourages others to act, according to Furst.

Furst said that a highly effective safety management process requires business and operational integration. In many organizations, the two elements are separate, according to Furst.

When selecting metrics to measure performance, safety managers must be sure to choose the appropriate metrics to drive the right behavior, Furst argued.

Furst said safety needs to be more than a value--safety must be instinctual. He used the example of putting on safety belts before we drive as an act that has become instinctual.

He said while people may come to organizations with bad habits, organizations must change the bad habits, fire the employees who refuse to change, or never hire them in the first place.