ABSTRACT
Many safety programmes fail to improve safety culture and performance, not because they are bad ideas, but because they are not developed and implemented properly. While there are globally recognised qualifications and standards relating to project management, in all but a few cases the safety professional is unlikely to need them. A safety professional was tasked with designing and implementing a new online incident reporting system to replace an existing ageing one. There are a number of different approaches to project management. Using the basic principles of project management can help people to make sure that their safety improvement programmes have the desired effect, in the right timescale and within budget. While not strict project management, without a clear and tight direction from the outset, without the right people being involved, a solid risk register and a clear communications plan, the chances are that it would have still delivered, but nowhere near the right timescale.
