Leadership is a subject often debated at the most senior management levels. However, leadership is not solely the function of Chief Executives, Directors or senior managers. Safety professionals should consider how their role requires them to be leaders within their organisation. To aid in this process we will consider the knowledge, skills and traits they will require to be successful leaders. While looking at the key traits for successful leadership, it is essential that this is seen, not as an end in itself but that it is directed to the overall aim of saving life and preventing injury in the workplace.

This book is aimed at providing some guidance to enable the safety adviser or safety manager to develop into an effective safety leader. In preparing for the book, the authors carried out a survey of members of the IIRSM to evaluate how many are involved in developing policy for their organisations. Of around 800 responses, over 80% of members were responsible wholly or in part for producing health and safety policy. However, this is only the first stage and putting policy into effective action is where the health and safety professional needs those leadership skills which this book will help to develop.