For the past three years in a row, an annual survey conducted by the EHS Daily Advisor and SafeStart, has identified the same top three workplace safety challenges—lack of employee engagement, employees taking shortcuts or ignoring rules, and lack of supervisor participation in safety programs.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to see the connection between these challenges. If supervisors aren’t invested in safety measures, they certainly aren’t going to expect employee engagement and workers will get the (mostly unspoken) message that rules can be ignored.
The not-so-simple truth is that workplace safety needs to be a priority that is communicated from the top down with total buy-in from leadership, managers and supervisors, or it will take a back burner to the “just get it done” production mindset that often accompanies tight deadlines.
Leaders have the power to enforce Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) compliance and promote safety in the workplace. Protect workers and your bottom line with the following approaches toward safety awareness.
#1 Safety-Oriented Leadership
If safety isn’t your priority, it won’t be anyone else’s either. This means that everyone in a leadership or a management position in your company needs to walk the walk and talk the talk about your safety program. Show your commitment to a safe workplace by properly investing in safety technology, equipment and training, and consistently modeling safe behavior on the job.
#2 Set Clear and Consistent Expectations
For employees to meet and exceed performance expectations, they need to know what the expectations are. The same goes for safety expectations. Set safety goals for the jobsite and provide transparency into safety practices.
#3 Practical Safety Procedures
Safety precautions are rarely one-size-fits-all procedures that work for every job. For example, you might require building framers to wear work gloves, but gloves would significantly hinder someone doing detailed finish work. The best way to ensure that rules are not ignored is to involve workers in developing them. Safety is more effective when workers feel empowered to voice their concerns about a particular tactic.
#4 Reinforcement of Safety Training
Employee safety training can’t be a “one and done” approach, but it usually doesn’t make sense to pull workers off the job to sit through a refresher course. It can be easy to overlook safety measures in the rush to get the job done, so safety needs to be reinforced regularly to stay top of mind.
Some supervisors gather employees for a short safety meeting before the workday and ask: Where are we likely to have safety exposures today? What will we need to do to overcome them?” Another, more casual, approach is to provide real-time praise when good safety habits are observed and corrective feedback when safety protocols aren’t followed.
Additionally, some companies find it beneficial to invest in safety training software or apps with videos that employees can watch on demand. Employees take a short quiz at the end of the video to ensure their understanding of the material. This can be an efficient way to provide and document ongoing training.
#5 Regular Self-Inspections
Conduct regular safety walkaround inspections looking for any hazards. A clean jobsite is, by its very nature, a safer jobsite. When tools are put away and pathways are swept, it is a lot easier to avoid tripping hazards and steer clear of debris.
Looking for more ways to promote safety?
Have you considered adding technology to your safety program? Safety apps and management software are introduced to the market regularly, and the tech is a boon for organizations seeking ways to promote workplace safety and measure their results.
Check out our latest whitepaper Modern Workplace: Using Technology to Ensure OSHA Compliance and Manage Safety Programs to learn more.
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