A lot of companies say “Safety is our Number One priority.” However, when the chips are down and production needs to increase, safety might suddenly become Number Two.
In an effective workplace health and safety program, the employer places a high priority on a safe workplace, employees participate willingly in keeping themselves safe on the job — and the company’s Workers Comp premiums stay low!
To develop and maintain safety as a “core value” among your employees, we’d recommend following these guidelines:
- Encourage employees to think about safety 24/7.
- Talk about safety all the time.
- Make sure employees work safely. This job falls largely to your supervisors, who need to have good safety attitudes. You and your staff should keep checking up, monitoring performance, and being visible.
- Encourage employee participation, suggestions, questions, and even complaints about unsafe conditions.
- Set an example. If workers see you and your safety staff wearing PPE, following rules, eliminating hazards, and investigating incidents, they’ll follow your lead in taking safety seriously.
- Provide positive feedback for safe performance and attitudes. People love recognition and praise for doing the right thing.
- Correct reported safety hazards immediately. Nothing shows that you have a good safety attitude more than demonstrating that you care and are looking out for your workers.
