No matter what industry you work in, safety must be paramount for both employees and customers. As the administrator of your business or facility, there are several important boxes to check in your routine safety assessment, including updating security systems and ensuring automated door safety compliance. However, company-wide safety also stretches beyond these obvious things. Here are some guidelines for creating an effective safety culture in any business.
Find Out What Your Employees Already Know
Even if you have plenty of safety plans in place, do you know how well your employees know how to execute them? Communication is key to building a safety culture, and it’s never a bad thing to do some sort of assessment or drill to find out how well you’ve taught your emergency protocols to the people who will need them most. Even sending out a quick survey can be helpful in pinpointing areas where you can do more.
Post Important Protocols in Intuitive Areas
Some safety plans are simple and intuitive. Others are not. It’s important to make sure your employees have access to a concise, easy-to-understand outline of a safety protocol right at hand in the areas where they might need them. Some things, like fire escape plans, can be posted in common areas where there is a lot of traffic. Others, such as protocols for dealing with chemical fires, should be available immediately near a work station where this event might occur.
Be the Example
If you are lax about wearing safety gear or following company safety rules, your employees will follow suit. The best way to instill an effective safety culture in your team is to be an example of how to stick to the plan. Encourage employees to practice or review protocols regularly, and be the first to do it yourself.
Listen With an Ear To Improve
One of the best ways to make sure your team is being safe is to build a relationship with the people on the front lines of the work. Help them feel comfortable enough to come to you with concerns or ideas on how to improve safety protocols. Help them know that their perspectives or opinions are important to you, and follow through on any promises to address the issues they present.
Make Safety Your First Concern
The safety of everyone who works in or visits your business is essential. Not only does it prevent damage to equipment or injuries to the people involved, it may also help keep you safe from litigation, bad press, and sleepless nights. Build a culture of safety, starting from the top down.