Improve Your Workplace Safety Culture by Empowering Your Staff

To create the foundation of a strong safety culture, inspire your employees to take action.

Start by building a workplace environment that encourages staff input and collaboration: highlight staff contributions, applaud employee achievements, and encourage self-discipline.

Recognition and encouragement are core elements of humanity; if company leadership can tap into these roots, a powerful employee response will begin to surface.

An effective way to start building this environment is to promote the notion that “everyone is a leader”. This helps spark an entrepreneurial spirit and a sense of ownership for all team members. Involve your staff in company-wide processes and operations, such as conducting safety training sessions, writing proper job procedures, performing injury investigations, and leading safety audits.

Remember: The goal is to give employees a strong sense of belonging and accomplishment while exercising control over their work environment.

To strengthen your workplace safety culture, keep these suggestions in mind:

1. Actions speak louder than words.
   Company leadership must demonstrate support for the well-being and safety of all employees: participate in safety training sessions, conduct safety observation tours, and administer accident investigations.
2. Engage your staff in safety management.
   Include employees in the creation of company-wide safety rules, workplace safety training, job procedures, and safety audits.
3. Foster an atmosphere of continuous improvement.
   Try conducting a Job Safety Analysis of frequently performed tasks. Focus on areas that have experienced injuries. Try conducting safety analyses of tasks and equipment use on a frequent basis. Develop and implement a comprehensive employee suggestion program. Publish updates and safety improvements for your staff to read. This builds momentum.

When company leadership fosters an inclusive, encouraging work environment, intrinsic motivation is triggered within the employee: idealism grows and self-empowerment is strengthened. Your staff has a higher chance of following company rules and safety procedures because they helped create them.

By empowering staff and including them in the creation of company practices, management will see an increase in production, higher attendance and a greater sense of community. Teams will work more effectively together and will be more inclined to help each other.

For more information about this or other safety tactics for your workplace, feel free to contact our team of Risk Advisors at [email protected].

Products and services are provided by one or more insurance company subsidiaries of W. R. Berkley Corporation. Not all products and services are available in every jurisdiction, and the precise coverage afforded by any insurer is subject to the actual terms and conditions of the policies as issued.