Should security personnel be generalists?

There are very few safety management professionals who are generalists; as a result, safety management often becomes a mere formality

Safety work involves various specialties; knowledge in areas such as equipment, electrical systems, instrumentation, and civil engineering is necessary. Otherwise, difficulties may arise in daily work. As for whether one needs to be an expert in these areas, it depends on individual needs and the requirements of the company, after all, there are engineers specializing in each of these fields.

It should be basic competence plus skills; in addition to having a special skill, one also needs to be competent in other aspects as well

Security personnel cannot be generalists, but they need to have a basic understanding of some related fields. One should always possess the quality of being eager to learn and make progress. I did some online research regarding the qualities that safety management personnel should possess, and found that the information was more or less similar; it is posted below: Enterprise safety management personnel form the lowest level of China’s safety management system, and they constitute the largest group within this system, playing a direct and crucial role in safety management. To achieve the objectives of safety management and control in our country and improve the level of safety management, it is essential to have a workforce of enterprise safety personnel who are in appropriate numbers and have a reasonable structure. To some extent, a competent team of enterprise safety managers constitutes the fundamental prerequisite and guarantee for ensuring safe production; it plays a crucial role in implementing the safety management model based on the principles of \"enterprise responsibility, industry oversight, ** supervision, and public monitoring\". Currently, serious accidents are occurring frequently across the country, and the situation regarding work safety is not optimistic. From the central government to local authorities, there is an increasing emphasis on work safety management and control, which in turn places higher demands on enterprise safety managers. To meet this requirement and ensure safe production in all sectors across the country, safety managers in enterprises must possess the necessary ideological and political qualities, professional ethics, knowledge, and skills. I. Ideological and Political Qualities: Ideological and political qualities refer to the basic requirements that safety management personnel in enterprises must possess in terms of ideological views, political stance, and moral character. Ideological and political qualities are essential attributes that enterprise safety managers should possess, and they represent the primary requirement for working in enterprise safety management. Adhering to the correct political direction, establishing a scientific worldview and outlook on life, and possessing a noble ideological realm are the fundamental aspects of the ideological qualities that safety management personnel in enterprises should have. A company’s safety management efforts are aimed at serving its employees, and they are related to the safety of those employees’ lives as well as the company’s property. In the process of safety management, it is necessary to adhere to the Party’s basic line, uphold the Four Fundamental Principles, and follow the general policy of reform and opening up. One must stay committed to one’s duties, work hard, and carry out all tasks in accordance with the path set forth by the Party. A worldview is the overall understanding and fundamental perspective on the objective world, and it can be divided into materialism and idealism. A worldview is the fundamental perspective and attitude toward life; there are bourgeois worldviews, as well as proletarian and **ist worldviews. Enterprise safety management personnel must adhere to the materialist worldview of dialectical materialism, uphold the correct outlook on life, and remain resolute in pursuing the socialist path. In their respective jobs, they should work diligently, with utmost care and precision, and make selfless contributions. To this end, it is necessary to properly handle the relationships between the individual and society, public and private, contribution and taking, as well as happiness and sacrifice. One should integrate the realization of personal value with that of social value, and not talk about the realization of personal value in a vacuous manner, separate from the achievement of social value ； One must abandon the mindset of seeking personal gain at the expense of others, and strive to be selfless and put the public interest first ； Don’t talk only about taking without talking about giving. One must possess noble moral qualities, be modest and cautious, avoid arrogance and impatience, and be good at carrying out criticism and self-criticism; in particular, it is essential to foster a mindset of serving the workers wholeheartedly. II. Professional Ethics Quality Professional ethics quality refers to those principles that are closely related to people’s professional activities, help to coordinate relationships among them, and serve as guidelines and standards for regulating people’s behavior. It holds an extremely important position in the competency profile of enterprise safety managers, serving as a necessary prerequisite and effective guarantee for them to carry out various safety management tasks effectively. Enterprise safety management personnel must have a passion for their work and be dedicated to the cause of safety in this regard ； Work together and support one another ； Explore diligently and strive with determination. Every enterprise safety manager should understand the social significance of their work from the perspective that safety efforts are related to social stability and family happiness. They must realize that ensuring good safety practices in an enterprise is crucial for its sustainable development, as well as for its social reputation and competitive strength. By doing so, they can appreciate the heavy responsibilities on their shoulders, develop a genuine passion for their work, master their skills, and fulfill their duties with integrity. They should not be driven by fame, profit, authority, or mere rules, but rather by facts; they should disregard personal gains and losses, focus wholeheartedly on their work, take great care in their tasks, consider hard work to be an honor, and exhibit a spirit of selfless dedication in order to contribute to the advancement of safety efforts in our country. Therefore, enterprise safety managers must devote all their wisdom and enthusiasm to safety management, working hard to provide protection for the company’s employees. III. Knowledge Qualities Knowledge is people’s understanding of objective things and their laws of development through social practice; it is the source of strength that enables people to understand and transform the world. As the British philosopher Bacon said, “Knowledge is power.” Necessary knowledge skills are an extremely important component of the qualifications required for enterprise safety management personnel, including theoretical knowledge of Marxism-Leninism, scientific and cultural knowledge, management science knowledge, knowledge of safety management and control techniques, as well as other relevant scientific knowledge. The theoretical knowledge of Marxism-Leninism includes Marxism, Leninism, *Thought, **Theory, etc. It is a comprehensive and profound system; it represents truths that have been tested by practice, and it is a theory that continues to develop. It serves as a mental tool for enterprise safety management personnel, providing guidance for improving their own capabilities, understanding issues correctly, and constantly enhancing their work. Only by mastering solid theoretical knowledge of Marxism can enterprise security managers grasp the essence of things behind their surface manifestations in their work, solve problems at their root, and achieve twice the results with half the effort. It is also only by possessing such Marxist theoretical knowledge that they can deeply understand the Party’s various lines, principles, and policies, enhance their willingness to implement them, and maintain a high degree of consistency with ****. To this end, both at work and in one’s free time, it is necessary to strengthen the study and mastery of Marxist-Leninist theoretical knowledge. There are a variety of approaches and methods to enterprise safety management, each with its own set of requirements; as a result, enterprise safety managers need to possess different specialized technical knowledge as well as a solid foundation in scientific and cultural knowledge. With the advancement of safety education in our country, the number of students with advanced degrees in safety-related fields is increasing year by year, providing a solid foundation for the implementation of safety management and safety technology practices. In the future, companies should continuously strengthen on-the-job training for safety management personnel, encouraging them to improve their educational qualifications and enrich their knowledge base. To carry out effective safety management in a company, it is necessary to understand **policies**, acquire knowledge related to management principles and safety technologies as well as safety management practices. One must also study management psychology, management philosophy, systems theory, cybernetics, information theory, and leadership skills. In addition, it is essential to learn and master knowledge in various areas related to safety, such as mechanical safety techniques, electrical safety techniques, thermal and explosion safety techniques, and accident handling. Enterprise safety management is a highly comprehensive science that is closely related to other disciplines such as behavioral science, interpersonal relations, education, psychology, politics, applied writing, creativity, forecasting, etc. Enterprise safety managers also need to strengthen their knowledge in these areas. IV. Competency and Qualities Competency and qualities are the fundamental guarantee for enterprise safety management personnel to carry out their tasks effectively. It mainly includes expression skills, management skills, research capabilities, and innovation abilities, etc. Firstly, a qualified enterprise security manager should possess certain language and writing skills. The nature of the work carried out by corporate security managers means that language and writing are essential in their duties; tasks such as preparing summaries, giving speeches, submitting reports, and drafting documents all require certain skills in oratory and writing. Secondly, corporate security managers should possess certain management skills. Management includes activities such as planning, organizing, directing, and coordinating. “\"Everything is accomplished through planning; without it, nothing can be achieved.\" To do the work well, it is necessary to develop thorough, detailed, and comprehensive plans in advance, so that actions can be taken in accordance with those plans during the work process. A task may involve many departments and personnel, may consist of several steps, and may require coordinated efforts in terms of human resources, financial resources, and material resources to be completed; this makes it necessary to organize the work. During the work process, ongoing guidance is essential; unexpected difficulties and conflicts may arise, and safety managers are needed to handle these issues properly, resolve conflicts, and adjust the relationships between various factors. To possess such capabilities, on the one hand, it is necessary to strengthen the study and mastery of management knowledge, and on the other hand, to continuously improve through practice by integrating theory with reality in order to carry out work well. Here, enterprise security managers need to possess certain research capabilities, with the aim of improving and facilitating their work, as well as enhancing the level of enterprise security management and related theoretical knowledge. The work of corporate security managers is repetitive in nature, so there are patterns to be followed. It is crucial to conduct thorough research on one’s own work in order to identify these patterns, as this is essential for performing the job well. In an environment where enterprise security issues keep emerging, there is an endless stream of problems to address, and security controls and technologies are constantly evolving, it should not be difficult to improve and strengthen one’s own research capabilities. Enterprise security managers should also possess a certain degree of innovation ability, which refers to the capacity to create something entirely new that has not existed before. This ability is crucial for a corporate security manager, as only by possessing it can one avoid being constrained by past achievements, break free from existing frameworks, and create a new approach to security management. **The comrade pointed out that innovation is an inexhaustible driving force for a nation’s development. This assertion clearly highlights the significance of innovation; enterprise safety managers must thoroughly comprehend its meaning, strive continuously to make progress, and excel in their work related to enterprise safety management. In addition, enterprise security managers should also possess certain physical and mental qualities. The physical and mental fitness of enterprise safety management personnel is the primary condition and fundamental guarantee for carrying out enterprise safety management work. It requires enterprise security managers to be in good physical health, full of energy, and quick-witted. Without a healthy body, it is difficult to handle the demanding tasks of safety management. Good psychological qualities, including a calm state of mind, an optimistic attitude, and perseverance, are essential for working in corporate safety management.

If companies place importance on the competence of those in charge of safety, on the status and benefits of safety personnel, on the development of their basic knowledge in various related fields, and on establishing the authority of these safety professionals to enforce safety regulations, then there will be fewer accidents and less loss of life. Unfortunately, the opposite is true

In my opinion, safety personnel do not need to be generalists; there are specialized technicians in various fields, and usually, it is these professional technicians who provide safety instructions before operations begin. Security personnel should pay attention to continuous learning* in order to enrich their knowledge as much as possible. Furthermore, I believe the most important thing for security personnel is to have the courage to stop violators and violations promptly.

I have been working in safety for over four years, and I find it quite challenging to work in this field. In terms of management, principles of safety are similar across different areas, but when it comes to technology, there are significant differences among various industries. I feel that security personnel don’t need to be experts in technology; a general understanding is sufficient. What matters most in security is management! !

The talk about ideological and political qualities on the 5th floor seems a bit far-fetched! ? Still, it makes sense to emphasize dedication

Safety management involves various aspects of enterprise production, including knowledge in areas such as mechanical equipment, electrical systems, infrastructure construction, vehicle transportation, special equipment, mining operations, fire and explosion prevention, etc. One may not be an expert in these fields, but it is essential to have a basic understanding of them, especially the knowledge related to the areas under one’s own responsibility at the workplace. Only by having such knowledge can one carry out safety work effectively and become a generalist in the field of production. Otherwise, in daily work, if one doesn’t understand this or that, many problems will arise. Of course, safety management professionals cannot replace experts in various fields.

I also agree with what was said on floor 8: security professionals should have knowledge of various specialties, but it’s not necessary for them to be experts in everything, and that’s also unlikely given the sheer number of specialties involved in security engineering. I prefer safety management; especially in enterprises, coordination skills are of utmost importance.

I work in safety management as well; I think it’s best for everyone to have some knowledge in this area, as that provides a basis for management, helps reduce gaps in safety management, and serves to support safety management efforts.

Safety management should be integrated into the daily operations of other positions; there is no need to create a separate role dedicated solely to safety management, as if it were responsible for overseeing everything related to safety. Instead, having a separate safety oversight role to check whether tasks have been carried out properly would make things smoother.

Safety officers need to be generalists, but such people are rare. As a safety professional, one needs to have knowledge of machinery, electrical systems, special equipment, production processes, psychology, engineering, and related fields

A safety officer doesn’t have to be an all-rounder; even a safety engineer can’t afford to be one. One must be responsible and brave enough to take action and exercise oversight

In my opinion, those with expertise in process engineering have an advantage when switching to safety management. Nowadays, many people who studied safety end up working on EHS systems in companies, leaving those companies to look for positions related to process safety and product safety.

Personal opinion: The highest level of safety work involves having a service-oriented attitude toward employees, taking responsibility for their physical and mental health, treating them as one’s own brothers and sisters – this is the true essence of safety. Safety is an endless pursuit; to achieve it properly and in a proper manner, one must know as much as possible and have one’s own standards. Safety engineering is a discipline that combines technology and management; we need not only knowledge of management but also a solid foundation in technical skills. Otherwise, in practice, we cannot compete with professional engineers and production staff. Safety professionals must adhere to principles, and these principles are our knowledge, skills, and experience. Often, safety requirements play a decisive role. The highest level of safety work is to achieve intrinsical safety, and to do so it is necessary to understand the process requirements in terms of design, manufacturing, use, and so on. . . . . . The knowledge I think I need to master: Technology: Machinery and its associated facilities: various design specifications, construction acceptance standards, programming of safety devices, as well as the standard requirements for installing such safety devices. Process requirements: Understanding production processes, hazardous factors in the production process and process control, as well as the safe design of equipment and difficult operations. Electrical; first, the codes for low-voltage power distribution design, as well as the standards for the construction and acceptance of various electrical equipment ； Skills in PLC usage, and establishment and analysis of basic circuits. Pipelines: Pipeline design specifications, pipeline construction standards, design requirements for pipelines using special processes, etc. Fire and explosion hazards. . . . . . . . . Hazardous chemicals. . . . . . . . . Occupational health requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Various special operation requirements. . . . . Requirements for protective equipment. . . . . . . Ergonomics for everyone. . . . . . . . .

One must be brave enough to take action and manage situations effectively, and also know how to do so; therefore, safety personnel need to be familiar with, and even proficient in, the company’s processes, equipment, and various hazard factors!

Security personnel also have distinct roles; some focus on system management, some on process safety, and others on equipment safety. Compared to quality management, there are those responsible for standard implementation and those responsible for quality inspection.

In the case of chemical plants, safety managers should have at least a good understanding of the manufacturing processes, as well as knowledge of equipment, electrical systems, and instruments； In terms of other qualities, having good moral character, the courage to speak up and take action, as well as a strong commitment to one’s job, are all crucial.

It is sufficient to study safety technologies and safety management knowledge carefully; as for the knowledge related to machinery, electricity, chemistry, etc., one only needs to have a basic understanding of it – all of that serves to enhance safety technologies. Just as physicists need to master mathematics. Safety technology shouldn’t be considered to require generalist knowledge just because it involves knowledge from other fields, right? Personal opinions are for reference only