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When I visit my clients and new prospects, I always
stress the importance of developing the proper attitude towards safety. I cannot
stress this enough. Attitude greatly influences behavior and safe work behavior
is the most critical factor to a successful Safety Program. I have found out
that changing employee safety behavior is one of the hardest things there is to
do. We would think that would be easy, that employees would automatically want
to be safe. While I believe that no one wants to be injured, the fact is that
most of use are not naturally safe.
To change behavior you first have to change
attitude, and to change attitude you must be able to motivate employees to want
to change. Not an easy task, but it can be done. The following guidelines have
proven to be successful with many of the clients I work with and should be
successful for your company as well.
Lead by Example - Employees watch everything
you and your supervisors do. If you want people to be safe, set the example.
Nothing irritates employees more than having rules applied unevenly. If you fail
do to so, employees will not believe that you are sincere and you will lose
their trust. Once trust is lost, it is almost impossible to regain.
Set High Safety Standards and Goals -
Companies that have good Safety Programs always set their standards and
expectations high and work hard to achieve them. Hold supervisors and employees
accountable for safety performance with the same intensity as you do for
production, sales, quality and other important management functions.
Get Employees Involved in the Process - The
more you get employees involved, the easier it is to get employees to buy into
the Safety Program. Employees need to feel like they have a say. Ask employees
for suggestions, ideas and their opinions. Be ready to follow up on these and
incorporate their ideas. Remember — there has to be a genuine effort on
management’s part, and the effort has to be supported on a continuous basis.
Do Not Blame Employees for Accidents -
Remember — accidents are usually caused by more than one factor. Identify all
the factors and then correct their causes, whatever the reasons. If employee
behavior is one of the causes, this should be addressed in a positive manner.
Provide Proper Tools and Equipment -
Employees have to see that you are serious about your Safety Program, and it is
hard to convince employees you are serious if they are not provided with safe
tools and equipment.
Provide a Safe Work Environment - Check the
work area frequently and take actions to correct unsafe conditions, tools and
equipment. Stress proper housekeeping at all times. Ensure adequate lighting so
work can be done safely. Sloppy housekeeping has a negative influence on
employee attitude and behavior.
Provide Proper and Adequate Safety Training -
Proper safety training is a critical aspect of a successful Safety Program. The
goal of safety training should not only be to convey necessary work knowledge,
but also to develop the proper attitude towards safety and establish safe work
practices.
Reward and Recognize - We all like to win, be
rewarded and be recognized. Establish safety goals with the input from your
employees. Also, establish a method to reward and recognize. There are a number
of methods to do this. Choose one that is easy to monitor and provide the most
bang for the buck. Be consistent, do not let the program fade away and advertise
the rewards. If employees feel being safe is a worthwhile endeavor, they will
work harder to be safe.
Do Not Quit - Often companies implement an
effective Safety Program, get employees involved, put in a rewards system and do
all of the right things, but after they have been successful in reducing
accidents, they lose their intensity. Keep the program alive and continue to
keep the employees involved and excited. Advertise your success and do not take
it for granted. Safety is an ongoing, never-ending process. If you quit doing
all the things you did to be successful, it will not be long before the
employees recognize this and they will lose their interest and belief in the
program.
If you have any questions or need any assistance
with your Safety Program, please call American Safety and Health Management
Consultants, Inc. at 1-800-356-1274.
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