Mission Statement
To decrease incidents and injuries by supporting and encouraging networking between safety professionals, risk professionals, related companies, fire service, the police, public health authorities and road safety professionals to promote sharing knowledge on safety and encouraging modernisation.
Background
MakeItSafe has been formed to develop a safety partnership of leading companies, the government and safety professionals, in Barbados. MakeItSafe aims to reduce injuries and deaths caused by mistakes and promote safer use. MakeItSafe has a discreet audience – decision-makers, influencers, and professionals in the safety field. The primary business objectives set for its initial year is to:
- Build credibility with safety practitioners, the media, and the government of Barbados.
- Promote best practices amongst those with a primary concern for safety.
- Demonstrate the commitment of sponsors to improve safety.
MakeItSafe is an incorporated company whose board of directors are its trustee. The Association’s objectives are:
- To advance the education of the public concerning safety.
- For the public benefit, to encourage safety through the provision of safety awards.
MakeItSafe’s focus is to become a leading forum for promoting and devising solutions to safety problems. We operate at a high level, bringing together the leaders in safety education, engineering, and enforcement, encouraging them to work together in partnership with us. We are highly motivated and are actively extending relationships to include delegates from all the major stakeholders.
MakeItSafe is unique in that it provides the only Barbadian NGO dedicated solely to safety in which a wide range of stakeholders can develop a common understanding of issues in this field and through which sponsors are able to demonstrate their commitment to improved safety.
Our strategy is to build partnerships with other stakeholders in the safety field to encourage new ways of thinking and spread knowledge on good safety practices more widely. This will earn us credibility and recognition for being independent, responsible, well-connected, and sensible with the government, the police, safety leaders and the safety community.
With the reduction in casualties and the ever-increasing economic pressure, some sponsors will wish to review the role and running direction of MakeItSafe. We have been encouraged to be more proactive and to use MakeItSafe to demonstrate the safety industry’s obligation to improve safety, in a way that is more effective than the very valuable and hugely important individual initiatives.
With this challenge and an increasingly diverse group of members and sponsors, this is a great opportunity for us to build a business plan to meet the new challenges.
Accepting New Challenges
Our business plan reflects the need to address the following challenges:
- Improved public and personal education.
- A greater public understanding of the effects of alcohol and drugs on safety.
- Safety at work.
- Safety at home.
- Road safety
- Reducing the risk to young drivers.
- Improved roads encourage drivers to drive more safely.
- Effective and acceptable speed management.
- Effective enforcement and appropriate penalties for traffic offences.
- Sound primary legislation.
- The rapid introduction and use of new vehicles with the latest safety technology.
- Not just meeting the targets but beating them.
The Safe System Approach
MakeItSafe fully supports the Safe System approach to safety management which sees the user as the “weakest link” in the chain, unpredictable and capable of error, despite education and information, being available.
The approach is central to MakeItSafe‘s viewpoint as it addresses all elements of the safety system in an integrated way with the aim of safeguarding incident levels below that which would cause serious or fatal injuries.
Our work programmes will concentrate on inspiring the rapid adoption of technology to reduce incidents and a greater sense of personal responsibility by all users including the use of plans for all ages with an emphasis on those who require safety education for travel and work.
In priority order we will focus on:
- Road Safety
- Safety at work
- Safety at home
- Reducing the risk to the young and vulnerable
MakeItSafe is a joint venture organisation which is there to support professionals and offers a demonstration of the industry’s commitment to a safe systems approach.
Our approach is to provide professional support with newsletters and a website, as well as regular appearances at events underpinned by full engagement with safety staff and government agencies.
Target Audience
Our key audiences are those who have a professional responsibility for improving safety and those who influence them. This will include the emergency services, safety officers, researchers, and officials. It will also include company decision-makers, especially in the field of safety on roads, at home, at work, and in the media.
Control and Organisation
To ensure transparency and aid delivery of the plan, MakeItSafe has been organised into two business areas each working to promote improved education, originality, and new thinking:
- Management, Policy, and Representation
- Projects and Publicity
MakeItSafe will have a board selected from its key sponsors and four independent members.
Policy and technical advice will be provided by an advisory panel of safety experts.
Programmes
Our main programmes will concentrate on encouraging the rapid adoption of technology to reduce incidents and a greater sense of personal responsibility by all users, including the use of plans for all ages including school children, homes, roads, and those who work.
Our key programmes are:
- MIS Knowledge Centre– a project to support improved availability of good knowledge among professionals.
- Supporting the Global Decade of Action for Safety
Operations
MakeItSafe is a knowledge transfer facilitator designed to demonstrate a commitment by our sponsors and partners to safety and to involve themselves with professionals by working together to provide a safer environment. Our fundamental activity will demonstrate this commitment.
Our reputation rests on having good communication, with the safety community and other key stakeholders, essential to MakeItSafe.
Resources will therefore be concentrated on:
- Representation
- Developing the website
- Bi-monthly MakeItSafe News
- Organising regular expert meetings
- Developing a series of events in association with partners to promote improved safety.
- Developing a sound relationship with the media:
- Through active participation in public safety events
- Through private influence.
Management, Policy, and Exhibition
The core business activity will be managed directly by the Executive Committee. The Safety Advisory Panel will assist in the development of policy and in the representational task. MakeItSafe is looking to work closely with government organisations to promote its key objectives.
Projects and Publicity
It is now the right time to develop several events organised by MakeItSafe. Whenever possible events will be organised in association with partners. This will provide income-generating opportunities to be managed as part of a knowledge management programme. This includes information videos, the website, and regular e-news messaging. The website will evolve further, to act as a resource hub for safety professionals.
The Web Site
www.MakeitSafe-bb.com, launched in May 2023. provides an essential tool for communication with interested parties. It will be updated bi-weekly with news releases and will be developed further to provide links with sponsor sites and other safety information sources. Further evolution of the site to become a ‘portal’ for safety information will include the addition of a ‘best practice guide’ area and the inclusion of interactive features. Forming network partnerships with other sites will also be pursued.
MakeItSafe News
There will be a circulation of a regular e-bulletin MakeItSafe News. This newsletter will be a valuable resource for a wide range of practitioners. It will be issued bi-monthly.
Expert Meetings
MakeItSafe can assemble experts from a wide range of safety fields. Most of these experts are keen to invest their time in meeting others in their field and sharing their knowledge. A few highly successful ‘expert’ meetings will be held, and it is planned to organise two each year, each on current key topics. These meetings will stimulate discussion and assist in the development of critical thinking. These events will bring experts in a particular field of safety together with sponsors and other professionals to explore new solutions.
Developing Relationships with the Media
A regular programme of media briefings, broadcast opportunities and one-to-one meetings supported by media releases, commenting on safety news or events, and emphasising what is currently being done by sponsors, will become a regular element of critical thinking. To facilitate this, MakeItSafe will develop media partnerships. We will also lead two campaigns each year in partnership with the safety industry.
Conferences and Safety Events
MakeItSafe can make good use of speaking opportunities, support and sponsorship at conferences organised by sponsors and other bodies. MakeItSafe will be well-represented at most major safety conferences. Additionally, MakeItSafe will arrange two expert meetings or debates a year on topical issues.
In partnership with commercial organisations, we will also support two local events each year to promote safety.
Support the Global Decade of Action for Safety
There is a need to promote good practices among decision-makers and safety experts in Barbados. MakeItSafe will be making connections and working with members of the UN Safety Collaboration.
Sponsors
MakeItSafe will be the first port of call for sponsors for advice and guidance on safety issues. Although all sponsors believe that it is important to demonstrate a commitment to safety, it is essential that their commitment is maintained by communicating the value and relevance of MakeItSafe. It is therefore essential that our aims, objectives, and plans are understood and supported by the key stakeholders. This will be achieved through regular communication activity including:
- The Bi-Monthly MakeItSafe News will be structured to place more emphasis on core activity and to promote sponsors’ involvement in safety initiatives.
- The development of our website to link with key stakeholders’ safety initiatives.
- A quarterly Sponsor Newsletter outlining activity and the circulation of the minutes of the Executive Committee and Advisory Board minutes to all sponsors.
The utilisation of sponsors’ internal communication channels is important in building credibility – e.g., internal team/customer magazines with pre-written ‘kits’ (pictures, stories, copy etc) on specific issues.
Furthermore, it is essential that contact with all key stakeholders is maintained through:
- The Annual Report.
- Regular meetings with sponsors and a regular telephone round-up with sponsor’s communications teams, to identify stories about them, and through the involvement of all sponsors in hosting and supporting events including Awards presentations.
- Placing articles with in-house journals.
Evolving the Financial Base
MakeItSafe will be providing an exceptional opportunity for its sponsors to demonstrate commitment to safety; above all, it also provides an opportunity for them to engage with key influencers in this field and to become actively involved in an all-inclusive approach to casualty reduction.
Underpinning MakeItSafe is the need to work closely with our sponsors and develop additional partners.
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Contents
Management, Policy, and Representation. 6
Developing Relationships with the Media. 7
Conferences and Safety Events 7
Support the Global Decade of Action for Safety. 8
Evolving the Financial Base. 9
