HR Tips – Safety and Work Culture Are Linked

It is worth the investment to create a culture of safety within the workplace. When you cut down on these risks, it benefits everyone including the employees and the business itself. It is a good idea to put a plan in place to make this a reality. The goal should be to create a workforce safety plan.

Reduce Losses and Improve Employee Experiences

By reducing risks within the business, it is possible to reduce the amount of loss a company faces from workplace injuries. Workers compensation claims, for example, can be incredibly limiting in many situations. Add to that the time that key employees are out of work and you could be struggling as a result. Employees want a safe environment, too. They want to work in a hazard-free environment. To accomplish this, it is critical to establish a plan of safety and promote a safe work culture for everyone.

How to Put a Workplace Safety Policy Into Place

Creating a workplace safety policy is the critical first step. OSHA recommends having this policy written and put in place right away. The policy needs only to be a checklist for avoiding common hazards or it can be much more detailed. It should be included in the standard employee manual and taught from day one.

What Else You Should Do

You can take other steps to improve the safety culture in the workplace. Consider the following:

• Educating employees and new hires about the safety risks is critical. It is important for them to know what their job requirements are in minimizing or avoiding these risky situations.
• Teach employees to spot workplace dangerous. Even in a completely safe environment, there are going to be some risk factors. Even just slipping on the floor can be. Employees need to know what they should do if they spot a risk.
• Communication of risks in the right way is very important. A chain of command should be in place that manages these situations so there is a clear process for implementing changes when problems do occur. The ultimate goal of minimizing risk needs to be a priority for everyone.

With a workplace safety program in place, it can lead to a culture of safety – management and employees working together to reduce risks. However, education about safety needs to be ongoing to be effective. Keep employees and management up to date.

Have questions or comments for The HR Writer? Please feel free to touch base with Tess here by leaving your message below!