One very important thing is to create a 'company safety attitude' and move it into the level of the activities being performed and away from words slogans and intentions (i.e. mission statements, clever phrases and thick manuals that no one can read).

1. Seriously consider a Quality and Safety emphasis¹². Actually generate a Quality manual (it can be one page long!) with product safety considerations in mind to promote an active product development culture/tradition instead of a bureaucratic program. For example, require the engineers to always, where possible, use UL/CE marked components in their designs. Perform serious hazard analyses and design reviews to assess safety aspects. Explain the benefits to the company and customers for doing this. You don't necessarily need a QA department - Everyone in your company including the CEO is the QA department.
   
   
2. Be aware that meeting safety requirements is not necessarily synonymous with quality. Product safety is only one part of a product quality program, as is reliability, functionality, consistent reproducibility, customer satisfaction, etc.
   
   
3. Think of safety and PLP not as a boring burden, but as an absolute necessity, a cost savings component and a mantle of corporate protection. Safety protection is every bit as important as IP protection.
   
   
4. Outline the product saftey program and emphasize the consequences to the product, to the customer and to the company if it is not taken seriously.