Are Supervisors Being Set Up for Failure? How Overload and System Failures Impact Safety

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with a number of supervisors on a mine site, and the conversations I had left me with a thought-provoking question: Are we setting our supervisors up for failure?

What I heard from these supervisors was a consistent theme—overwhelming amounts of paperwork, endless meetings, and complex systems that often pull them away from their primary role: supervising. Supervisors are tasked with completing a mountain of administrative work, from scanning handover reports to processing Job Safety Analyses (JSAs), work orders, and task observations. All of these need to be uploaded into the system, and that’s just the start.

In addition to the paperwork, supervisors are responsible for communicating with various workgroups, ensuring safety permits are in place, and conducting safety interactions with other teams. Then, there’s the additional responsibility of escorting safety observers around the site. Throughout the day, they also attend multiple meetings: daily briefs, pre-shift meetings, and various check-ins. As one supervisor put it, “I don’t even have time to supervise anymore.”

The Growing Disconnect

It’s easy to see how this disconnect happens. Supervisors are caught in a whirlwind of administrative tasks, compliance checks, and meetings that leave little room for them to actually oversee the work being done on the ground. And yet, when we look at incident reports—whether it’s ICAM reports or fatality investigations—the common thread that often emerges is a lack of supervision or inadequate supervision.

This raises an uncomfortable but necessary question: Are we, in our efforts to improve safety and compliance, inadvertently setting our supervisors up to fail?

The Burden of Overload

We know that supervision is critical to maintaining a safe and productive work environment, especially in high-risk industries like mining. Supervisors are on the frontlines, making real-time decisions that directly impact the safety and performance of their teams. But if their time is consumed by paperwork, endless meetings, and administrative tasks, how can they effectively supervise the work happening on the ground?

The reality is that many supervisors are being asked to do the impossible—manage people, systems, and compliance, all while ensuring safety standards are met. And when incidents occur, the blame often falls on inadequate supervision, despite the fact that supervisors are stretched too thin to perform their core responsibilities.

Is There a Solution?

This issue is not new, and it’s not unique to any one site or industry. It’s a challenge that many organizations are grappling with. But the real question is: What can we do about it?

The answer isn’t straightforward, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. However, it’s clear that organizations need to reevaluate the expectations placed on supervisors. We need to consider whether the systems we’ve put in place—designed to improve safety and efficiency—are actually creating barriers for effective supervision.

For instance, could we streamline paperwork and digital systems to reduce the time spent on administrative tasks? Could we rethink the structure of meetings to ensure that supervisors have the time and space to focus on their teams? And most importantly, could we provide more support for supervisors, so they aren’t isolated in their roles but are empowered to lead effectively?

A Call for Feedback

This issue is one that requires collective reflection and action. We need to ask ourselves whether we are truly setting up our supervisors for success—or for failure. Have others experienced the same challenges? Are there organizations that have successfully alleviated the burden on their supervisors?

I’d love to hear from others in the industry: What changes have you made to help your supervisors succeed? Have you found a solution to the overwhelming load they face? Let’s share our experiences and work together to create environments where supervisors can do what they do best—supervise and lead.

Conclusion

The role of a supervisor is one of the most critical in ensuring safety and productivity on any site. However, if they are overwhelmed by administrative tasks, meetings, and systems that pull them away from their core responsibilities, it becomes difficult to perform that role effectively. It’s time to take a hard look at how we’re supporting (or failing to support) our supervisors, and what we can do to help them succeed. After all, ensuring proper supervision is key to reducing incidents and ensuring a safer workplace for everyone.