18/07/2020
If youâve tried adding safety policies, tweaking work processes, holding safety meetings, and investing countless dollars in safety training, but these tactics donât seem to make a dent in your reportables, this could be why
Certain mindsets impact the success of any attempt to modify organizational culture. The following beliefs undermine efforts to integrate safety into everything the organization does, from the C-suite to the warehouse floor.
The Blame Game: Evident when workers are afraid that they will get blamed, and maybe even penalized or punished, if they report safety concerns.
Itâs Not My Job: Manifests itself in a lack of personal accountability for safety on the job. Safety is viewed as being the responsibility of the Safety Manager or some other authoritative figure.
Safety and Productivity Canât Co-exist: Workers feel that any safety measures or controls that exist hinder their ability to be productive on the job.
Injuries Just Happen: Evident when your workers expect to get injured and accept it as being part of the job.
Change Takes Too Long, So Why Bother?: This mindset is characterized by apathy and complacency. Nothing ever changes around here, so why should I try?
To get your workers to believe that changes are really going to take place, you have to demonstrate that change is already taking place. We donât mean lip-service. You have to take specific actions and will probably have to do some changing yourself. Here are a few suggestions.
Brush Up On Your People Skills
Become comfortable talking with your workers. You have to listen to gain an understanding of what it feels like to do their jobs. Let them know that they will not experience any type of reprisal for surfacing safety problems.
Encourage your workers to confide in you about their safety concerns, and get their ideas on what changes are needed to make their jobs safer. Avoid negativity, adopting a âcan doâ attitude. Then make at least some of those changes happen. Seeing change leads to believing it really can happen.
When your workers make the connection that what they tell you about unsafe conditions results in action, and that thereâs no penalty for being truthful about safety issues, their belief that they will get blamed will disappear.
Their beliefs that ânothing ever changes around here,â and âmanagement doesnât really care about usâ also will change, as they see rapid and lasting changes taking place. As their beliefs change, their mindset that they canât have an impact on organizational safety will change, and theyâll become more personally accountable for doing their part to ensure a safe workplace.
Be Observant
Keep an eye on whatâs happening on the floor. That means get out there and circulate among the workers. When you see one of your workers doing their job safely, acknowledge that.
A few sincere words about the specific things theyâre doing safely will reinforce that safety matters, that youâre paying attention, and that theyâre making a personal contribution to organizational safety.
Safety First, Safety Always
Make sure that your workers know, without a doubt, that safety is the most important aspect of each of their jobs. Whether youâre manufacturing a product, running a warehousing operation, or conducting retail sales, having the job done safely is a priority.
Why? Because it has a direct impact on the organizationâs bottom line, even beyond the devastating impact each accident has on an injured worker.
Lead by Example
Walk your talk. Your workers look to you to be their role model in everything, and safetyâs no exception. If you work in an unsafe manner, or fail to take action when they bring their safety concerns to you for action, theyâre judging your own commitment to safety in the workplace. Donât let them down.
