Safety is a major concern for employers and an area that should receive plenty of attention. Although nonfatal workplace injuries are on the decline overall, there were still 2.9 million cases reported by private industry employers in 2015 alone.
An effective way to improve the safety of your workplace is to encourage your employees to take ownership and empower them with the means of doing so. Here are some specific ways to accomplish this and make safety an integral part of your culture.
Offer Hands-On Training
Fundamental training on safety principles is an essential first step. All new hires should receive the necessary training to perform their jobs both safely and efficiently. Ideally, you’ll go beyond learning via a conventional manual or software and provide hands-on training based on real-life situations they may encounter. This way they’ll be equipped with the requisite knowledge and experience to react accordingly and swiftly diffuse any dangerous situations.
Get Their Input
You’ll also want to get your employees in on the action. Considering their health and well-being are at stake, it’s important they get a say without having to be afraid of speaking up. In other words, you want to give them a voice.
There are two main ways to go about this. One is to offer an anonymous suggestion box where workers can voice any concerns they may have or mention any potential safety issues they’ve noticed. The other is to provide safety surveys where you ask specific questions regarding your company’s safety policies. Use this information when guiding your efforts to update policies or implement new ones.
Involve Employees in the Decision-Making Process
Let’s say there’s an area of safety that’s deficient and needs your attention. Rather than simply making a decision based on the thoughts of managers and other higher-ups, get your employees involved. These are the individuals who are “in the trenches” and who will be affected the most. Encourage them to provide feedback or offer any ideas they think would make things safer.
Hold Periodic “Safety Talks”
Whenever you hold a meeting or group discussion, devote a portion of that time to the topic of safety. Highlight any recent safety issues your company is having and ask employees to chime in with any insights they may have.
The key word in getting employees to take ownership of safety is involvement. The more involved they are, the more empowered they will be. This should translate into a safety-centric workplace culture where the threat of injury and illness is reduced dramatically.
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