Top 5 Must-Know Tips To Promote Workplace Safety Culture

A sobering fact to note is that employers reported 2.9 million workplace injuries in 2016. This alone shows the need to pay more attention to workplace safety precautions.

But what is workplace safety all about? This means the need to create a safe working environment to protect your employees from harm.

Not forgetting, every employer has to enforce health and safety measures. Yet, going above and beyond to create a culture of safety has its extraordinary benefits:

• Lower injury costs

• Increase in employee productivity

• Boosts employee morale

• Reduces chances of absenteeism

Making workplace safety a habit among your employees is now easier for you with these top five tips to promote workplace safety. Have a look at these effective ways to go about it and why your workplace needs a safe environment.

1. Conduct Workplace Evaluation

2. Understand Your Goals and Objectives

3. Take Time to Enforce Workplace Safety

4. Host Safety Training Workshops

5. Establish Positive Reinforcement

Sometimes, having regulations in place doesn’t prevent accidents from happening. The best way forward is to evaluate your workplace to see what’s missing. This is the personal touch that most workplaces need.

Each environment poses different risks to employees. It’s important to understand the major causes of accidents in your work environment in order to address them.

Conducting surveys with your employees is the best way to do this. You’re able to know their attitude toward the safety precautions in place.

Remember to ask them for suggestions, too. Engage them further on what you should do to make their work experience safer. At the end of this, you’re sure to observe increased participation in safety practices.

Have short-term and long-term goals for your business. They are vital in learning how workplace safety plays a part in your plans. Here are some common objectives for enforcing workplace safety measures:

• Preserve your employees’ lives

• Enhance your employees’ performance rates

• Create a safe working environment

• Promote the positive growth of your business

Do you desire to expand your business? If so, then you need an excellent safety system in place to make this happen. If you have not set goals, now is the best time to do so.

Once you have concrete goals, it’s more natural to come up with a practical workplace safety plan that suits your needs. Break up your long term goals and set weekly targets. Establish reasonable timelines for achieving them based on your employees’ needs.

When you rush into enforcing safety measures, your employees don’t acknowledge them. It’s better to do this over some time so they can appreciate the importance of workplace safety. Without this, having regulations in place becomes meaningless.

Make the process more memorable and enjoyable to add meaning to it. Start by integrating safety lessons into ordinary work operations.

As the old saying goes, ‘’Experience is a great teacher.’’

Learning on the job is the best way to establish the importance of safety measures.

Also, update them on changes to safety policies that incorporate their suggestions. Your employees will see their opinion matters in the workplace, too. This gives them the incentive to pay close attention to their actions to avoid accidents.

Without a doubt, interaction with safety experts during training sessions adds value. They have special knowledge of workplace safety that your employees can appreciate.

They play the role of enriching your staff with extra tips to promote workplace safety. This effort helps them grasp safety concepts better.

Did you know that workplace safety programs reduce injuries by 50%?  (source)

This is an effective method because it involves high employee engagement. They understand why safety culture and policies are important in the workplace. In the end, allow them to give honest feedback and ask questions.

Remember to accept constructive criticism so you can learn about your workplace needs. In the long-run, suggestions make it easier to establish safety as part of the workplace culture.

Everyone likes to receive acknowledgment for a job well-done. It shows appreciation and that you’re doing the right thing.

This skill is the secret behind successful businesses. Show gratitude to employees who take part in promoting workplace safety.

There are different types of positive reinforcement you can use. To mention a few, you can try:

• Giving a surprise salary increase.

• Adding vacation days.

• Issuing better health benefits.

• Offering a weekend getaway.

Recognizing special efforts gives other employees the incentive to do better. This encourages healthy competition and increases interest in implementing workplace safety.

Workplace Safety Makes Employees Happy

“Safety, in its widest sense, concerns the happiness, contentment, and freedom of mankind."

– William M. Jeffers, former President, Union Pacific Railroad Co. (1946)

Encouraging a culture of safety makes work more satisfactory for your employees. It results in higher quality services and customer satisfaction. It also allows employees to know how to focus on prevention of accidents.

That’s why taking excellent safety precautions is necessary to accompany your efforts. A major component to incorporate is a well-stocked first aid kit. To ensure it serves its purpose, maintain your kit well and keep it in an accessible area in case of emergencies.

Above all, aim to make continuous improvements to your safety practices. Technology is evolving at a fast rate, so you need to stay up to par by updating your policies when necessary.

Workplace safety is all about accommodating change and adapting fast enough.

With these tips, your business is sure to be safe and succeed beyond measure!