Editor's Note: Worker safety: Does your CEO 'get it'?

Aug. 31 is the deadline for submissions for the 2016 CEOs Who “Get It” – the National Safety Council’s annual recognition of leaders whose actions demonstrate a personal commitment to creating and sustaining a workplace culture of safety and health.

Safety+Health magazine has featured this recognition since 2003. And I’ve written about it so many times that I’m sure our copy editor, Bryan O’Donnell, feels a tiny stab every time he sees the phrase “get it” in quotation marks. But for everyone on the S+H team, CEOs Who “Get It” remains a welcome opportunity to highlight CEOs who have embraced the challenge of keeping workers safe and healthy, and to read about the experiences that brought those leaders to their current awareness.

I typically receive numerous emails every year asking for more information about CEOs Who “Get It,” so I thought I’d share some info with you here:

• A form is available throughout the year on the S+H home page, and safety professionals are encouraged to submit the name of their organization’s leader for consideration.
• In September, the submission forms are forwarded to a committee that includes representatives from NSC Workplace Consulting and Research and Safety Management groups.
• The committee looks for CEOs whose efforts help achieve above-average results. For example, an employer that has an average injury and illness rate for its industry will not be in the running at the end of the selection process.
• Regarding the “What has your CEO done to instill a culture of safety within your organization?” question on the form, the committee is looking for specific examples of how the CEO has personally made an impact on the organization’s commitment to safety.
• The committee usually makes its final decisions in mid- to late October, and everyone who submits a form will be notified.

A Q&A with each of the selected leaders will appear in the February 2016 issue of S+H, and we look forward to sharing with you their journey to safety excellence.

The opinions expressed in “Editor’s Note” do not necessarily reflect those of the National Safety Council or affiliated local Chapters.