Workplace safety is something all employers take seriously. Some hazards occur in the workplace. Did you know that 61% of men and 39% of women miss work due to workplace illness? In fact, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 153 workplace accidents occur every 15 seconds. Employees’ safety should be a major priority for a workplace because it saves lives, increases productivity, and reduces costs.
Safe work culture is, therefore, aimed at creating conditions and habits that will make workers carry out their duties effectively. This, in turn, impacts efficiency. It is common for many organizations to struggle and not know how to go about improving their workplace safety culture. The good news is that there are a few effective tips you can apply.
Here are seven effective tips to bolster safety awareness amongst your employees and also improve your workplace culture.
1. Start from the Top
Workers won’t buy into your workplace policies if their superiors do not follow them. If the management commits to safety, your employees will do the same. Your top management members are responsible mainly for improving your safety culture. They should be at the forefront, communicating the importance of safety to your employees.
Every organization has a management team. They should not only talk about safety but also take precautions. Equip your employees with all the right tools for work. Give them the chance to participate in safety programs. Hold safety meetings frequently, and make sure you ask for feedback and recommendations.
2. Keep Your Workplace Tidy
A tidy workspace inspires confidence. To reduce potential work hazards, make your environment neat, safe, and tidy. Sameday essay advises that you apply the following tips:
• Ensure all doors and windows are in excellent conditions
• Pack all boxes and furniture away from the window.
• Install good lighting
• Conduct regular repair of all your work equipment
Your workplace is a reflection of you and your employees. You can even set aside the last 45 minutes of the last Friday of every month as a general cleaning session. Get rid of items that are unnecessary or sell them. Make cleaning fun. Approach it as a team event that gives room for bonding.
3. Show Your Employees That You Value Safety
Do you reward employees that perform their tasks regardless of what it takes? You might be indirectly encouraging a culture where safety becomes the least consideration. Instead, praise and recognize employees who proffer suggestions on how to work safely. However, you should know that accidents happen. Even though you are going to teach your employees that workplace risks can be reduced, you should always have it in mind that every job has its risks.
4. Communication
Communication is vital. Effective communication does not only give your workers the ability to articulate the presence of danger, but it also helps to build trust. In the workplace, miscommunication can cause drastic consequences.
Make your safety policies available to all your workers. It can either be electronically or by paper. You can also use your workplace intranet to communicate best safety practices and expectations to your employees. You can get tips from UK assignment help to promote workplace safety. Don’t forget to share recent news on workplace hazards with your employees.
Aside from communicating these policies, provide communication channels for hazard reporting. This way, your employees can know who to contact and how they can prevent a potential accident.
5. Conduct Safety Training for Your Employees
Training your employees shows your commitment to their safety. This will make them embrace safety culture freely because they are aware of work hazards that can occur and their effect on the workplace. Safety training should be an important part of the employees’ onboarding process. They must be comprehensive. It is not enough to train. Ensure that all your employees have access, and they complete the training for their respective positions.
Take time to review the important messages from the training sessions. This will help you to reinforce learning. Document the training and all safety procedures. For the training to be more effective, organize a consistent refreshers course to ensure compliance. This is because people tend to lose their alertness overtime.
6. Address Toxic Behaviors
A toxic work environment affects the disposition, and most of your employees’ work time and energy is expended on negativity. Toxic workplaces do not only result in negative outcomes, but they also paint the organization in a bad light. Toxic employees cause a lot of harm. They bully, induce stress, and this can make their affected colleagues less motivated to work.
The cumulative effects of workplace gossip, threats, and bullying can become extreme and lead to violent behaviors. You can avoid this entirely by implementing a zero-tolerance policy for toxicity in your organization. Do not hesitate to let go off employees who do not respect other people.
7. Caution and Punish Rule Breakers
Always be firm and sanction those that do not care about the safety procedures put in place. For example, if you provide the best essay writing services that require specific rules, you should not hesitate to caution employees who break such rules. When you do that, your other employees will start to show more concern about those rules.
Conclusion
Finally, if you want to maintain a safe and healthy workplace, start implementing your goals from the team leaders. Be consistent and have it in mind that the change you desire will not happen overnight. With consistency and dedication, you will build a safe workplace that you’ve always desired.
Bio
David is a professional writer and blogger from Virginia. He’s a top editor at essay writer UK, where he supervises a team of paper writers. David is an expert in areas of workplace safety and security. He plays golf during his free time.