Ignored by Management Again? How to Persuade Others to Act on QHSE Recommendations
Jan 15, 2026
QHSE professionals don’t usually struggle to identify risks - they struggle to get decision-makers to act on them. This article focuses on practical persuasion tactics that work in real organisations, not theory.
1. Stop Leading With Compliance. Start With Consequences.
Most managers don’t wake up thinking about regulations.
They think about:
Cost
Productivity
Reputation
Personal accountability
Instead of:
“This is non-compliant with Regulation X”
Try:
“If this isn’t addressed, we risk a shutdown, prosecution, or serious injury - and I don’t think that’s an acceptable risk for the business.”
Regulations matter, but outcomes persuade.
2. Translate Risk Into Business Language
Risk matrices mean little outside QHSE circles. Convert them into terms management already uses:
QHSE Framing | Management Framing |
|---|---|
High risk | Likely operational disruption |
Near miss | Early warning sign |
Non-compliance | Legal and financial exposure |
Control measure | Cost to prevent higher cost |
If a risk could stop operations for 3 days, say that. If a fix costs £5k but an incident could cost £250k, say that.
3. Make Inaction Feel Riskier Than Action
Management often delays because doing nothing feels safe. Your job is to flip that.
Effective questions:
“Who would be accountable if this went wrong?”
“Are we comfortable defending this decision after an incident?”
“What would the regulator say if they reviewed this tomorrow?”
This isn’t fear-mongering - it’s decision clarity.
4. Present Options, Not Problems
Never present a single recommendation.
Present choices:
Option A: Low cost, partial risk reduction
Option B: Medium cost, strong reduction
Option C: Higher cost, long-term fix
This gives management control - and makes rejection harder. Saying “no” now requires choosing more risk.
5. Use Evidence, Not Opinion
Replace “I think” with:
Incident data
Audit findings
Industry enforcement examples
Benchmarking against competitors
External evidence removes ego and internal politics from the decision.
6. Pick the Right Moment (This Matters More Than You Think)
Timing often decides outcomes more than logic.
Best moments:
After an incident or near miss
During planning or budgeting cycles
When leadership priorities include safety, ESG, or reputation
Worst moments:
When production is already under pressure
During cost-cutting announcements
7. Document Everything (Quietly)
If recommendations are rejected:
Record the risk
Record the decision
Record who accepted the residual risk
This protects you professionally and often triggers reconsideration later.
Final Thought
Convincing management isn’t about arguing harder. It’s about aligning safety with the decisions they’re already measured on.
When QHSE recommendations are framed as:
Business protection
Cost avoidance
Leadership responsibility
They stop being “safety issues” - and start becoming executive priorities.
