The greatest asset to any workplace is the people who work there. So, it should be a top priority of every business and employer to ensure that their workers stay safe on the job. One of the best ways to do this is to instill a culture of safety right into the organization. Changing culture, however, is rarely an easy task. The following are a few strategies you can use to begin building a culture of safety in your workplace.

1. Look at the big picture

Whether you work in a factory or an office, there are safety risks. These risks could include tripping hazards, chemicals, machinery, poorly designed workspaces, or even the commute to work. To identify hazards and meet safety goals, you should involve everyone in the organization.

Your company’s safety and wellness program should be one that everyone can participate in. Workers should be encouraged to engage in safe work practices at all times and to look out for their co-workers.

By ensuring your program is inclusive, it will help to show your employees that you care about their well-being and inspire them to look out for each other’s well-being.

2. Lead by example

When you begin to design a health and safety program, it’s important to start at the top and get buy-in from the leadership and management of the organization.  It is important for your team to see that management values safety and is making it part of their core values.

Managers at all levels should:

• Make safety a top priority for the organization.
• Set clear health and safety goals for the company.
• Clearly define the expectations of the health and safety program and who is responsible for what.
• Ensure there are adequate resources that support the health and safety program.

3. Provide clear messaging

Once the health and safety program has been developed, it needs to be clearly communicated to everyone within the organization. It is important that all employees understand what the program entails and their role in ensuring a safe workplace.

Your company’s safety plan should be visible in the environment to ensure that everyone is aware of the program and will get on board and can include company emails, posters, and team meetings. Motivational strategies such as incentives and contests can also help to build a culture of safety.

4. Encourage two-way communication

In your efforts to build a culture of safety with your workers, you will also want to make sure that the communication is two-way. Employees need to feel engaged in their health and safety program and feel that they can communicate their concerns, offer suggestions, and report accidents without fear of reprisal.

In order to build this culture, you should offer your employees various ways of communicating with you. This might include regular team safety meetings or appointing a safety lead to each team where workers can bring their concerns directly. Whatever strategies you use to enable two-way communication, the goal should be to make it easy for your employees to have a voice.

5. Provide ongoing training

Finally, you should continue building and supporting a culture of safety through ongoing training. Training opportunities allow your employees to work and learn together, which in turn supports the culture. Training may be online or in-person; it could include guest speakers, lunch and learns, or specific hands-on training such as first aid.

Contact TeksMed today!

Building a culture of safety will serve to prevent many job-related illnesses and injuries. However, when these events do happen, it’s important to have a good disability management and return to work program in place. And this is an area where TeksMed can help. Contact us today to learn more.