During this section we looked at a number of Functions that are impacted during Integration; Environmental, Health and Safety is another functional area that needs attention. If we focus on Safety; maintaining safe operations during integration can be a challenge, font line workers who are worried about their jobs due to potential synergies can lose focus on standard safety protocols and reporting requirements. Additionally, the organizations can have very different practices and protocols that will need to be integrated through a solid change management program.
Communications to front line workers needs to happen early in the integration planning process and often throughout to ensure they remain focused. Additionally, providing them a mechanism to be heard will improve their trust level and provide the added bonus of a mechanism for this employee group to provide great insight into synergy opportunities since they are one of the groups that have the opportunity to see potential changes on a daily basis.
How have you maintained a focus on Safety during your initiatives?