How to Join the Safety Culture Movement: Part 1
Establishing or Refreshing Positive Beliefs
We can all achieve a safe and healthy work environment, if we do it together.
The Safety Culture movement was recently validated when our Safety Culture Works Program won 2017 New Business of the Year at the Halifax Chamber of Commerce Business Awards Gala. Now, we all must substantiate what this award claims by ensuring the Safety Culture movement is genuinely put into action at work, at home, in our communities and beyond.
Every person that is injured (or worse) while conducting their work has a negative impact on us all, and on the character of our society. No incident is an accident.
We need an evolution in the way we approach safety. The Safety Culture movement is not so much focused on what safety is, but why it’s important. The founding belief in a strong Safety Culture is that everyone wants to go to work, do their job well and get home safe. It’s a straightforward statement, but how do we get our people to carry it with them? Let’s break it down, piece by piece, to see what it would look like in action – so we can all start reaping its benefits.
“Everyone wants to go to work” – not, everyone needs to go to work or everyone can go to work. Everyone WANTS to go to work. Why “want” instead of “needs” or “can”? If a person dreads their work environment, they will more than likely face burn-out. Burn-out leads to neglect and a lack of personal investment. You can see where this is going, right? On the other hand, someone who looks forward to going to work and enjoys working with their team will feel invigorated, excited, determined and driven. Essentially, this first statement is about mental health. A workplace that ensures respect and appreciation is maximizing the intelligence, talents and expertise of its people.
To ensure your people want to go to work, continuously discuss how important health, safety and wellness are to the organization. Prove it by providing support wherever needed. Also, invest in your people. Show that their personal progress is a benefit to the organization. Continually train and develop your workforce’s skill set. Honestly implementing these actions will result in workers fully dedicating themselves to that environment.
Next, “[everyone wants] to do their job well”. This one speaks for itself – when an organization has a cohesive team that is invested in the common goal, and they care deeply about achieving that goal, the result is an efficient and safe work environment.
This belief follows from creating the “want” to go to work. When people feel valued and respected in their working group, a common reaction is a sense of responsibility to those who provide that feeling. We feel beholden to do our very best for those who do the same.
Lastly, “[everyone wants to] get home safe”. This statement fuels all others. In a strong Safety Culture, it is the bold headline that governs every single decision and action. A person’s life outside of work has a major bearing on their choices. Integrating an interest in family life into the workplace will bring your people together and keep loved ones top-of-mind – which will remind each and every employee why they make the choice, every single time, to do their work safely.
To read the other articles in this series, look below:
