How to Create a Safety Culture at Your Business

Safety in the workplace should always be at the forefront of your employees’ minds. It should permeate the attitudes and behaviors of everyone, from the newest hire to the supervisors to the owners.

A positive safety culture is a critical piece to any successful company. If your workers don’t make their own safety and that of their coworkers a priority, you risk accidents, injuries, illnesses and more. Here’s how your can make a safety culture the backbone of your organization.

Prioritize Communication

Schedule regular safety talks with your team. They can be either weekly or monthly, but it’s important to let your employees take on a leadership role in those discussions so they’ll be more engaged and invested.

Without employee engagement, everything that happens in the meetings will roll in one ear and out the other. Discuss safety policies, best practices, expectations and any recent safety news and updates in your industry.

Provide Training

The best employees are always the ones who’ve had the best training. They need to know safety guidelines, how to use all equipment, what the risks and hazards are and any relevant first aid procedures. The better prepared they are, the better equipped they are to react and deal with unexpected crisis scenarios.

Lead by Example

You need to follow the same safety policies and procedures that you expect your employees to. Remind them to wear the required safety equipment and encourage them to be cautious in their every day tasks. If you require your employees to wear a helmet and protective eyewear, then you need to do the same when required.

Workers won’t buy in to safety if they don’t see examples of it in top management. It’s wise to follow through on the safety lessons you preach, otherwise your employees won’t find your policies to be credible.

Develop a Reporting Procedure

Establish a safety culture process that encourages employees to report a safety hazard or concern when they see it. Your employees need to feel comfortable reporting concerns and believe they’re having a positive impact on your organization as a whole. They’re reporting because they know it will make a difference in protecting themselves or a colleague. This means they also have to trust you’ll act to address their concerns. It’s a lot easier to develop a positive safety culture when your employees feel safe filing reports and truly believe they’re doing the right thing.

Capture Employee Buy-In

As you design your reporting procedure, involve your employees. The more involved they are in creating it, the more engaged they’ll be and the more likely they are to report when there’s a problem. Ask them what kinds of incentives will motivate them and what they would like the process to look like. Should it be a private procedure, or open? Get as much feedback as you can on your current process and communication methods, including all training and safety talks.

Your employees should feel welcome and encouraged to take ownership of their own safety and their coworkers’ safety. As a manager, it’s your responsibility to put the safety culture systems in place and help your team adapt.

Looking for employees who are prepared to work safely and contribute to your culture? Contact ICR Staffing Services, the High Desert’s No. 1 staffing agency.