Question: Lately we”™ve been dealing with a lot of careless injuries. People on the job site and in our office, are getting hurt and I think a lot of it is unnecessary. I care a lot about my workforce and I want my company to be known for being a leader in safety. How do I create a safer place to work?
Thoughts of the day: Put the company on a mission. Slow down the pace. Research the industry. Implement training programs. Make sure everyone understands the priorities.
It starts with you, at the top, recognizing that safety has costs. When people get hurt, their families get hurt. Co-workers have to work harder to cover for the injured person. Bills mount up to treat and heal the injury. That”™s just on the surface.
When a company is missing an essential worker, orders may fall behind, creating more stress and more temptation to rush or take shortcuts, leading to more incidents. Company reputation may be harmed, making it harder to attract and retain safety-minded personnel and top-notch customers. Fines and inspections may eat away at productivity and profits. All summed up, it”™s much better to build a culture of safety.
Start by slowing down the pace of activity. Selling more can lead to more rushing, slip-ups, missteps, injuries, stress and poor judgments. Address gaps in sales versus delivery schedules by looking carefully at what”™s realistic in the short and long term. Consider outsourcing production until you can get things under control.
Treat safety by making it visible and giving it priority. Have zero tolerance for taking shortcuts. When there”™s an incident, require that it be documented and discussed at staff meetings. Follow incidents all the way up the chain of command. Keep records for reviews, rewarding safety and penalizing dangerous behavior.
Make a list of all possible safety issues that could hit your company. It”™s more than just dealing with a job site injury. Include illness, accidents inside and outside the building, security and interpersonal conflict.
Get everyone to take responsibility for making your business a safer place to work. Ask each employee to own one safety issue. Assign overseers that people can go to if they need to report something untoward. Offer confidentiality and freedom from retribution for whistleblowers.
Find out who in your industry is doing an excellent job at safety. Refer to trade organizations for help. Identify benchmark companies and experts in your field.
Look for training programs to teach your people how to do their jobs properly. Ensure safety equipment is available, in good repair and in use all the time. Make sure people can afford to stay home when they”™re sick.
If people want to find a better way to do something, have them do the research. Document the new practices. Set aside time for training. Make sure people know how to perform safely before putting new methods into general use.
Build a list of safety training resources. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration provides a wealth of information. Many associations offer industry-specific courses. Insurance brokerage firms have a vested interest in helping their clients build safe work environments. Private companies offer a variety of services, from workplace assessments to assistance building safety manuals and train-the-trainer programs, right on down to on-site training ”“ just be sure to check references.
Make it mandatory that every employee participates in safety training. Show employees and vendors the role safety plays in the company”™s priorities. Help people make the right decisions in their day-to-day work environment by giving them practice in the classroom.
Set aside work time for people to talk about ways to be safe. Educate people on the consequences for the business if safety becomes a problem. Make it clear that a safe work environment comes from every watching everyone”™s back, all the time.
Looking for a good book? Try “Steps to Safety Culture Excellence” by Terry L. Mathis and Shawn M. Galloway.
Andi Gray is president of Strategy Leaders Inc., strategyleaders.com, a business-consulting firm that specializes in helping entrepreneurial firms grow. She can be reached by phone at 877-238-3535. Do you have a question for Andi? Send it via email to AskAndi@strategyleaders. Visit AskAndi.com for an entire library of Ask Andi articles.
