Promoting safe behaviors in the workplace is crucial for creating a secure environment for employees. It goes beyond mere compliance with safety regulations and involves fostering a positive safety culture. Unsafe behaviors and poor decisions are significant contributors to workplace accidents. In fact, approximately 90% of workplace incidents result from unsafe behavior and human error. If employees are unaware of the hazards or aren’t motivated to follow safety procedures, their subsequent behavior will expose them to risks.
While it is a legal obligation to implement safety protocols and provide necessary safety equipment, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), establishing a culture that prioritizes safety is essential for protecting your team. Ensuring safety is not just about compliance; it's about fostering an environment where every team member is committed to maintaining a safe workplace.
Promoting safe behaviors and creating a secure environment is a gradual process that requires continuous effort and dedication. It involves regular training, clear communication of safety standards, and encouraging open discussions about safety concerns. While a significant lift, cultivating a culture that prioritizes safety can significantly reduce workplace injuries, boost morale, and minimize productivity disruptions.
Seven Ways To Promote Safe Behavior
Workplace injuries require extensive documentation and reporting, diverting time and energy away from projects. This administrative burden can slow down operations and detract from overall productivity. Moreover, the absence of an injured team member places additional strain on the remaining staff, who must cover for their injured colleague. This added pressure can lead to increased stress and fatigue, potentially compromising the safety and efficiency of the entire team.
Building a culture that values safety also means leading by example. When management demonstrates a commitment to safety, it sets a standard for the entire team to follow. The actions of your leadership team not only reinforce the importance of safety but also encourage employees to adopt and maintain safe practices.
There are a few things you can implement to help build a safety-based culture, including:
- Involve employees in the identification and correction of hazards. Have them participate in the development of job hazard analyses (JHAs), which should consist of critical behaviors as well as hazards.
- Periodically audit your operation to assure compliance with OSHA regulations and industry standards like the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) by conducting detailed walk-through surveys of your work area and, if possible, the entire plant.
- Perform safety observations to encourage safe behaviors. This can include supervisory observations or, ideally, peer-to-peer safety observations after employees have received training.
- Give recognition to employees who perform tasks safely and demonstrate proper behaviors.
- Ensure that training builds awareness of the critical safety behaviors for each task. In addition, training should be conducted immediately following significant job task modifications. Refresher training should also be provided during employee meetings to guarantee everyone receives the same instruction.
- Make sure that appropriate controls are in place and operational. Periodic inspection and maintenance are critical.
- Investigate every incident and near miss for root causes, communicate the findings, and correct deficiencies. If a safety procedure is challenging to follow, analyze and modify the procedure or task as needed so that employees will not be tempted to break the rules and work unsafely.
Behavior-Based Safety
Behavior-based safety (BBS) is a proactive approach that focuses on observing behaviors and their consequences to enhance workplace safety. Although it requires considerable effort to maintain, when implemented effectively, BBS can significantly mitigate the risks of accidents. A successful BBS approach relies on everyone agreeing and consistently practicing safe behaviors for all identified hazards.
Employees can implement the straightforward process of JHAs to ensure comprehensive awareness of hazards and their respective controls for each task. The development of JHAs begins with performing thorough hazard assessments. These assessments identify both the dangers inherent in tasks and the critical behaviors needed to prevent unwanted outcomes. Utilizing a Hazard Assessment Form can aid in evaluating tasks, identifying hazards, and determining the necessary controls.
A Hazard Assessment Form engages with staff purposefully and critically examines unsafe conditions. Observing employees and discussing their tasks can help identify the behaviors needed to prevent mishaps and situations that might lead employees to make dangerous choices. For example, if using a piece of safety equipment is required for a task but it is not readily accessible, a team member may choose to make an unsafe decision for the sake of getting the job done quickly.
Protect Your Business Today
To truly enhance workplace safety, consider strategies that simplify processes, increase safety, and strengthen overall operations. Partnering with a professional employer organization (PEO), like GMS, can provide comprehensive support in these areas.
GMS offers various services, from on-site training to consulting and OSHA compliance. Our workplace safety experts are ready to assist you in addressing your team’s questions and building a robust culture of safety. By leveraging our expertise, you can ensure your workplace adheres to the highest safety standards while streamlining processes and enhancing overall strength and efficiency.
Contact GMS today to talk with one of our experts about how you can ensure workplace safety at your organization.