Hiding From PSM | Blog No. 134
- Tom Cleveland
- 46 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Reality of the Grind
Since childhood, I’ve had to work. My dad would take me to jobs where I had no choice but to be used as an extra hand. Fast forward to adulthood: if I want to provide for my family, I need to work.
But let’s be honest about the modern workplace. Most people are thinking about the same things: Is it time to go home? Is it Friday yet? Not many people want to be away from home punching a clock, driving from location to location, or staring at a computer screen all day.
If you stumbled across a PSM blog, you know this firsthand. The word "easy" is rarely thrown around in our world unless you happen to be reading this while hiding under a condenser waiting to go home for the day.
So how do we stop hating the time we're on the clock?
The Toxic Phrase Blocking Your Progress
My answer is simple: Don't hide from the problem. Run to the solution. Use that shared grind actually to relate to the people you work with.
To start, we have to treat the phrase "That’s not my job" like absolute poison.
The work layout might not perfectly align with your official title, but if it’s happening at your facility, it’s your job. When you step out of your comfort zone to share the pains and experience the struggles of another department, you humble yourself. You start to see who actually has it worse, and you build a dynamic where people realize you aren't just a corporate suit pushing paperwork.
You don't have to hold a management title to lead. Good leaders listen, and you have to be a good follower before you can successfully lead anyone else. If you start making the best of a tough shift, others will naturally follow suit.
How True PSM Buy-In is Born
This is where the magic happens for Process Safety Management. When you get down in the trenches, you start to create real bonds. You dial in on people’s strengths and weaknesses, and you figure out exactly where to place them for the team to succeed.
Suddenly, the dynamic changes. People begin to buy in.
Buy-in is the single largest factor in a successful PSM system. If the team believes in the leadership
because you are carrying the workload and getting your hands dirty right beside them, the entire culture shifts.
You begin to bond over the hard work. The conversations on the floor might not always be PG-rated, but you are bonding, learning, and growing. It builds a team dynamic where everyone actually believes in the safety process. It's corny, but true: teamwork makes the dream work.
Practical Steps to Build the Culture
To get real buy-in at your facility, start doing these four things immediately:
Get everyone involved: Have every shift join your employee participation meetings. Follow up personally with the night shift.
Show, don't just tell: Show the frontline team the upcoming project yes, even the guy currently hiding under the condenser. Fresh eyes see things differently, and their feedback is incredibly valuable.
Kill the "Not my job" excuse: When someone says it, don't shut them out. Say, "It’s not mine either; let’s go get it done."
Play to strengths: Use people where their specific skills most benefit the team's safety.
Buy-in changes the culture of a process, no matter what that process is. When you stop managing from a desk and start engaging on the floor, it stops feeling like compliance work and starts feeling like a team.
For comprehensive training on Anhydrous Ammonia, click here for our PSM Academy Ammonia Awareness training to learn and earn a certificate of completion. Training is in English and Spanish. Use code SDS20 for a 20% discount on the entire purchase. For more information, email us at academy@machapsm.com.For a comprehensive training on Anhydrous Ammonia, click here for our PSM Academy Ammonia Awareness training to learn and earn a certificate of completion. Training is in English and Spanish. Use code SDS20 for a 20% discount on the entire purchase. For more information, email us at academy@machapsm.com.
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