ASSP President Bradley D. Giles, wrote in a blog earlier this month it’s important for the profession to uphold a high standard of ethics.
“As safety professionals, we may sometimes find ourselves in potentially compromising situations where we are asked to overlook a hazard, cut a corner or not report an incident. These pressures can be the result of various factors, from scheduling issues to concerns about losing economic incentives. Current events related to the pandemic response provide more potential cases in point. For example, could we be asked to falsify documents related to COVID-19 vaccination and testing?
As safety professionals, we must be prepared to respond to these types of ethical dilemmas. As fellow ASSP board member Dan Snyder wrote in the chapter on ethics in ASSP’s Consultants Business Development Guide, “Ethical reflection creates an immediate benefit for the individual who, through reflection, can discover other possibilities of being and behaving.”
He offers 10 principles that he uses to guide my daily interactions and decision-making:
1. Live each day with courage.
2. Take pride in your work.
3. Consistently finish what you start.
4. Do what has to be done.
5. Be tough, but fair.
6. When you make a promise, keep it.
7. Ride for the brand.
8. Talk less and say more.
9. Remember some things are not for sale.
10. Know where to draw the line.
"As you look ahead to your work in 2022, I encourage you to ask yourself, “Do my actions align with my core values and the values of my chosen profession?”, Giles asked.
