Have you ever wondered what goes into achieving safety excellence in the workplace? It’s a mixture of diligence and culture. You need diligence to be able to identify when things are going wrong.
And you need a culture of safety to make sure that when things do go wrong, they’re quickly put right. Here are some of the things that you can learn from the world’s safest companies.
Bonuses Should Depend On Safety Performance
We tend to think as bonuses as being purely based on financial goals. But companies that care about safety include safety goals too.
This gives a strong incentive to managers to make sure workers are always following the best safety practice.
Managers Need To Be Trained On Occupational Safety
The safest companies in the world take safety training very seriously. Many companies operate strict safety training policies.
In some companies, managers need Occupational Safety And Health Administration training every three years.
Workers Are Provided With State Of The Art Protection
A lot of companies think that providing basic health and safety equipment is adequate to keep workers safe. But the best businesses in the world know that this isn’t the case.
Different tasks need different types of protection. For instance, working on vehicle or machine hydraulics requires special hydraulic protection. Generic equipment just isn’t up to the job.
New Hires Are Quickly Oriented
The statistics on workplace injury show that you’re far more likely to get injured in your first six months on a new job. That’s why safety-first companies take pains to make sure new hires are familiar with new sites.
Site-specific orientation involves reviewing hazard with new employees and procedures training.
Stopping Work In The Name Of Safety Is Praised
One of the biggest barriers to safety in a lot of businesses is the culture. Some businesses take the view that work must go on, regardless of the risks. Usually, it’s because managers are fearful of falling behind and getting told off. That’s why the best companies praise those who stop work because of safety concerns.
The praise, of course, has to come from the top, if it’s going to be effective. That means that CFOs and CEOs have to step up to the plate and commend employees for identifying hazards.
Managers Go On Job Tours
Management might have one idea about workplace safety. But the workers themselves might have quite another. That’s why the safest companies institute so-called management job tours.
These tours are designed to find out what work is like on the ground. It’s needed to make sure that the employees follow the company’s safety protocols.
They Keep A Well Stocked Safety Resource Desk
Knowing how to stay safe on the job can often be tricky. Many workplaces are highly complex environments. And that means that they can contain many hazards and risks.
The safest businesses keep well-stocked safety resource desk. This is a resource to which workers and managers can refer if the need arises. And it’s a place that they can come to learn about safety themselves, rather than being told what to do.
I love how you make a point to note that a culture of safety will help with making sure safety is carried out. Thank you for sharing this!