Due Diligence for Managers & Supervisors: What Does It Mean?

 

You may have heard the term “due diligence” bandied about. It’s something you’re supposed to have – something you need to do, in fact.

But what does manager due diligence actually mean? How does it affect your role as a supervisor? And how much is enough to know that you’re doing your job correctly in running a safe & secure workplace?

 

Due Diligence Means Doing Everything Within Reason to Protect Workers and Promote a Safe & Secure Workplace

 

 

In short, due diligence is about making sure you’re “taking all reasonable steps to protect workers from harm.” What’s reasonable? Here we’re talking about a “level of judgment and care that a person would reasonably be expected to do under the circumstances.”

A supervisor or manager is being duly diligent if he or she has taken these necessary steps. An organization is considered duly diligent when it takes a proactive approach to managing health & safety to protect its workers.

We can boil down due diligence to three essential steps:

• Identify workplace hazards
• Implement preventative measures
• Keep communication open and clear

When you do all three of these on a consistent and proactive basis, you’re on the ball when it comes to due diligence.

 

How do you go about establishing or upgrading a due diligence program in your workplace?

 

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Healthy & Safety (CCOHS) identifies due diligence as a level of:

• Judgment
• Prudence
• Determination
• Care
• Activity

Incorporating these factors into an effective due diligence program is vital, as it protects you, your employer and your employees. It means you’re being proactive to prevent injury or harm. And it serves as a legal defense if a complaint were ever filed against your organization.

 

Your role as a supervisor or manager, therefore, is twofold. First and foremost, you need to make sure that there is a good due diligence program in place. And by following the steps in your program, you’ll not only be doing your best to promote safety, you’ll be crossing “I’s” and dotting “T’s” for any issue that might arise down the road.

What specifically does this involve?

1. Awareness

You must be hyper-aware of what’s going on in your workplace. And you need to be familiar with the content of your due diligence program inside and out. If you don’t have one or if it’s too thin, not compliant or in contradiction with Workers Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, ignorance will not serve you well. Know your responsibilities and your role for organizational safety and industry standards.

2. Proactiveness

Overlapping with and stemming from Awareness, being proactive means getting out ahead of situations before they occur. Even if you have a due diligence program and haven’t had any claims or issues, you’ll serve your interests well by anticipating what might occur. Spell this out in written materials as well as in verbal training and briefings. Be on the ball when it comes to making sure staff are following all safety policies and procedures.

3. Vigilance

Health and safety are something that need to be continually assessed. Review through evaluations, including self-evaluation and supervisor observation. Keep an eye on changes in regulations as well as industry best practices. Keep thorough records of all safety policies & procedures, briefing & training, violations and incidents, and all follow-up discussions.

When in doubt, write it out!

 

A training course on manager due diligence is a sound way to ensure that your organization is in compliance

 

By incorporating all of this into an effective, ongoing due diligence program, you’re ensuring that, when it comes to health and safety, your job as supervisor or manager is being done correctly. If you have questions or want to know more about how a training course can help you implement a proper manager due diligence program, Advanced Consulting & Training would be happy to discuss this with you. We offer courses in:

Manager Due Diligence

Mandatory Safety Awareness

Health & Safety Representative

… and more!

Contact us today to find out how Advanced Consulting & Training can help you!