3 Ways To Beef Up Your Modern Safety Program

Many changes in the workplace require approval before they can be implemented—even some seemingly minor changes. Often that leaves us wondering, is it really worth the paperwork? So it’s understandable that you might not be in a hurry to make potential improvements to your safety program.

But what if we told you there are plenty of easy ways to improve upon what you already have and optimize your already modern safety program? You won’t have to request approval from your CEO and you won’t have to buy any special materials!

1. Worksite Analysis

A great place to start is a workplace safety analysis. This will help you to find areas that need improvement in regards to safety. It’s a good idea to perform your analysis during the workday so that you can observe task performance in addition to site conditions.

There are a few things that you should note:

messy or cluttered work areas
use (or misuse) of personal protective equipment
conditions of tools and machinery

Really you should make note of everything positive and negative. With this information, you can correct any problems and ensure that good habits continue. Being thorough and following up can help to make your worksite analysis more successful.

2. Communication

Communication is a key element of many programs, and that includes your modern safety program. You should work to improve communication among employees, between employees and management, and among management themselves as well.

Communication plays a vital role:

before work starts, so everyone is on the same page
on the job, especially when employees are working on a task together
at the end of the day when feedback can influence the future

By improving communication, there is less room for miscommunications and unanswered questions. Promote an open channel for all employees and management to communicate to provide a sturdy foundation for your organization’s safety program.

3. Safety Leadership

Be a safety leader! This means that you lead by example and set the standard for everyone else in the workplace. It’s tough to manage a strong safety program if no one takes on the responsibility of a safety leader.

As a safety leader:

always follow procedures for PPE, equipment, and tasks
never take the easy way out if safety will be compromised
speak up if unsafe practices are witnessed

It can be a demanding role, especially at first, but you don’t need anyone’s approval to set a good example and be the best advocate for safety in your workplace.

If you’re looking to enhance your company’s safety program without additional funding or permissions, these three tips are the way to go! Just analyse your workplace safety, work toward improved communication, and become a safety leader—it’s a guaranteed success.