Hi everyone

I've just joined the discussion and was wondering if anyone had some ideas about how a government agency that is regarded as an expert in the field (and actively promotes itself as an expert) can create collaborative relationships with businesses so that they are empowering and build business capability to self manage workplace health and safety.

I'm trying to develop a training program for workplace inspectors where they can identify existing safety practices and help business to use them to fix existing safety concerns. The small pilot has not been very promising, because business see inspectors as experts (with the power to punish, even though it is used extremely rarely) and keep asking to be told what to do. It appears that business believe that if they "do what they are told" that not only will they be safe but also that it protects them from any compliance action by the inspectors.

There has been a concerted effort over a number of years to change this perception, but when you study on the ground interactions there doesn't seem to much change in the way the inspectors are viewed.

Any suggestions, clues would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Megan

updated by @megan-saxby: 10/24/16 04:45:35PM