In some businesses, safety considerations are routinely overlooked and may even viewed as a barrier to productivity. However, any company needs to ensure they adequately promote a safety culture. A safe workplace culture not only prevents injuries, accidents, and deaths but also improves the productivity and commitment of workers.
At the center of safety culture is a set of shared values, attitudes, and beliefs that dictate how safety is prioritized and handled in an organization. It implies the attitudes and behaviors of both the workers and the management performing safety activities and procedures correctly. Building an efficient safety culture includes all workers from the top office to the factory floor.
The Importance of a Strong Safety Culture
Having a reliable safety culture is very important for several reasons:
- Avoiding injuries and accidents: A strong safety culture makes employees feel comfortable reporting problems, leading to quick fixes and preventative steps. This proactive approach helps identify and remove potential dangers before accidents or injuries happen. In such cases, they should appoint a work injury attorney for a quick resolution.
- Better productivity: When safety rules are consistently followed, organizations are ready for audits and inspections, reducing the time and effort needed to prepare. A safe workplace also minimizes disruptions from accidents, increasing productivity.
- Better Employee Engagement: In a culture that prioritizes safety, employees require less supervision to adopt safe working habits. They feel empowered to make decisions about their safety and that of their coworkers, helping to build a sense of ownership and commitment toward preventing hazards.
The Key Components of a Workplace Safety Culture
Building the right safety culture involves four critical elements.
- Leadership Commitment: Leadership must prioritize safety efforts all the time. Top managers should provide the required resources. They should visibly take part with frontline workers in safety programs. This direction from those in charge establishes safety as an organizational goal.
- Open Communication: An open flow of communication is critical. Employees should conveniently voice any safety concerns. There cannot be fear of punishment for doing so. Furthermore, a system allowing workers to suggest improvements is vital.
- Hazard Identification and Control: Identifying hazards is crucial for preventing accidents. This necessitates actively evaluating workplaces, job tasks, and equipment. Routine inspections and analyses are key, especially after changes happen.
- Clear Policies and Procedures: An organization’s safety program should have well-defined goals, purpose, policies, and procedures tailored to its needs. These should be communicated, regularly reviewed, and supported by training for all employees.
Examples of a Good Safety Culture
Organizations with a strong safety culture exhibit the following characteristics:
- Knowledge and Competence: All employees demonstrate a working knowledge of health and safety topics and are competent in safety practices. They are not afraid to report concerns and seek continuous improvement.
- Safety as a Priority: Safety is chosen over competing priorities, such as productivity, even when it comes at a cost. Risk assessments are never neglected or compromised.
- Investment in Safety: The organization is willing to allocate resources, including time, money, training, and personnel, to address safety concerns and implement necessary measures.
Tips for Creating and Maintaining a Safety Workplace Culture
Developing and maintaining a culture of safety is a continual process, but the following five tips will help organizations create a workplace environment that promotes mindfulness, responsibility, and contribution.
- Implement a Control of Work System: Use a safety management system such as Control Of Work to assess and integrate multiple safety critical job functions (eg, confined space entry, hot work) so that everyone can work collaboratively, transparently, and securely. It will also collect, compile, monitor, and analyze information about high-risk events and behavior in real-time, and encourage people to follow the correct work processes, helping to ensure operational safety and compliance.
- More Employee Participation: Make it everyone’s job to safely return home. Make your workers feel like you care about them, and motivate them to take ownership of their health, activity, and work rest hours.
- Ready Access to Critical Documents: Security documents and other safety materials should be readily accessed for frontline workers through the purchase of mobile technologies for fieldwork or designated offices where necessary updates can be compiled. This facilitates communication for staff to stay alert and keep safety at the forefront.
- Appoint and Support Safety Supervisors: Consider nominating health and safety representatives to act as a trusted go-between for frontline workers and managers, empowering employees to raise safety concerns in confidence and knowing that such issues will be addressed.
- Invest in Ongoing Safety Training: Provide ongoing training whether online or in-person that helps to promote expected behavior, and discusses scenarios that encourage ownership. These sessions should be viewed as an opportunity for team building and skill building focused on safety topics so that safety becomes part of your culture.
Summing it up
These steps and a strong safety culture can help to give employees a clean and safe space to do their jobs and contribute to their organizations. A strong safety culture not only helps to keep your workers out of harm’s way but also leads to higher productivity and employee engagement, and provides important support to your company’s overall vision.
