Improving safety culture in the workplace
Workplace safety is an essential part of any organization's culture and operations. Protecting employees from potential harm is integral to a business and provides an environment that promotes productivity and efficiency. Improving safety culture in the workplace involves developing a safety policy, promoting a culture of safety, providing adequate training and conducting regular risk assessments. Creating a strong safety infrastructure, with the use of worker safety technology, can help you to stay ahead of incidents, and help to protect your workers and business while aiming to strengthen your reputation. According to a study in the Journal of Safety Research, most respondents (30.8%) felt that their employer was primarily responsible for controlling health and safety risks in the workplace. Although approximately 70% of both employers and employee respondents agreed or strongly agreed that workplace injuries and accidents are an inevitable part of life, around 60% of the same cohort feel that not all health and safety rules and procedures were strictly followed in their workplace.¹
Why is workplace safety important
Reducing potential liabilities associated with any accidents that may happen in the workplace could help provide employees the peace of mind to work effectively and efficiently. In fact, 70% of employees and employers, from the same study, feel that workplace health and safety requirements benefit their workplace.² Having a comprehensive safety program in place can contribute to improved worker health, safety and wellbeing as well as business outcomes, which include improved employee morale, reduced absenteeism and turnover, decreased healthcare costs, and improved quality of work.³ Creating a culture of safety within an organization can help encourage employees to understand their role in preventing accidents by taking shared responsibility for creating a safe working environment. Proactive initiatives such as hazard identification, risk assessment and training can help to reduce chances of accidents occurring while improving employee morale. Almost all (97%) of respondents from a Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS) survey cited in a 2023 OHS Canada article, believe that having a culture of health and safety is critical to sustainability and overall business success.⁴ Worker safety technology, such as wearables, real-time location systems and safety monitoring applications, can aid in improving safety outcomes and mitigating risk through the use of real-time monitoring and alerts in a centralized platform. Using a real-time platform with 24/7 remote management can help to provide you a holistic view of your workers’ well-being and fitness for duty.
How to improve safety culture in the workplace
To cultivate a secure workplace culture, it is important for organizations to take a proactive approach. This can be done through the implementation of comprehensive safety policies and regulations, which are regularly reviewed and updated. Companies should also provide these rules to all employees by conducting regular safety training and access to company safety guidelines. It is essential to establish an environment where workers feel comfortable voicing any concerns they may have about their own health or that of others without fear of reprisal or reprimand. In addition to safety policies and training, risk assessments should be conducted regularly to identify areas where improvements can be made, before accidents occur. Management should consider employee feedback when conducting such evaluations while monitoring equipment performance and workplace conditions as well. By taking these steps towards creating a safe working atmosphere, safety interventions are more effective at reducing accidents at work.⁵ TELUS Connected Worker solutions can help you protect your workers regardless of their location. Discover if your organization can benefit from implementing worker safety technology with our readiness self-assessment.
¹⸴²Comparison of management and workers' perception, attitudes and beliefs toward health and safety in the Ontario manufacturing sector, Journal of Safety Research, February 2023: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2022.11.011³Measuring best practices for workplace safety, health and wellbeing: The Workplace Integrated Safety and Health Assessment, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, May 2018: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5943154/⁴Unlocking business potential: The link between workplace safety, the bottom line and employee retention, OHS Canada (online), June 2023: https://www.ohscanada.com/features/unlocking-business-potential-the-link-between-workplace-safety-the-bottom-line-and-employee-retention/⁵Safety interventions for the prevention of accidents at work: A systematic review, section 1.5, Campbell. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cl2.1234