It is astounding to know how many business bosses lack the knowledge to keep their workplace safe. Focusing on numbers and aesthetics doesn’t provide safety and security for your staff. You must know how to best create a safe work environment to maintain the health and well-being of the team.
Here, you can find unspoken tips and secrets that will help your workplace become a safe haven.
Photo from Pexels by Mikael Blomkvist
Understand how to become a better informer
As the boss, you are responsible for providing employees with safety training. If you are stuck on ideas, lack confidence, or have never provided safety training before, there is something that can help you.
Pursuing a LOTO Train-the-Trainer online course will provide you with everything you need to become a better instructor for your employees. While you might already know the safety procedures to pursue and maintain, you might not know how to best deliver the information. A short course will aid your confidence and skill, helping you provide clear communication to your staff regarding the safety procedures to maintain a safer workplace.
Lead by example
On the topic of becoming a better boss, you must know how to lead by example.
Cultures of safety begin at the top. Since subordinates frequently emulate their managers, managers and supervisors must constantly adhere to safety procedures and wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Leadership sets the tone for the entire workforce by prioritizing safety.
However, if supervisors show a lack of concern for safety, staff members can see this as an indication that taking shortcuts is okay. Without uttering a word, demonstrating through your own behavior that you respect safety helps others understand how important a safe work environment is.
Checkups and check-ins
Checkups and check-ins are effective measures to help maintain a safer workplace.
Checkups refer to checking equipment, tools, and workplace risk areas. Regular assessments will help you identify any issues and fix them immediately, reducing the risk of incidents.
Check-ins refer to holding meetings with employees to see how they are. Private meetings can offer them a safe space to talk if they have any concerns. Giving your utmost support will prove to them that you want to help and be the person they come to if they have an issue. The better your relationships are with your team, the better the communication will be.
Encourage employees to speak up
Employees might not often speak up about safety concerns or incidents due to worrying about repercussions. However, if you prove to your employees that you want to listen and provide support, they will feel more comfortable sharing their opinions. You can build physiological safety at work by showing more support.
When you encourage your employees to speak up, it will help you maintain a safer work environment. Your proactive role in understanding worries and concerns and your readiness to hear about safety issues guarantees that you can provide support and solutions to make everyone safe.
A well-being and mental health focus
Focusing on well-being creates a culture of safety, which ties in with check-ins and encourages employees to speak up. A heavy focus on mental health in the workplace makes people feel more comfortable and confident at work. Whether they feel more confident voicing their worries and seeking support or increasing their focus by knowing they are well taken care of, a mental health focus will provide benefits.
Asking employees about their well-being, reducing workload, and providing stress-relief programs are all effective measures that can help you master a wellness-focused workplace.
Embracing the art of micro-breaks
While traditional break periods are important, many companies ignore the benefits of taking microbreaks throughout the day. Frequent, brief breaks, even for a minute or two, can significantly reduce weariness and increase focus. Employees who work long shifts or are always on their feet are more likely to experience physical or mental strain, which raises the possibility of damage.
Encourage staff members to take short breaks to get up, stretch, or move around in order to mentally and physically recharge. Encouraging microbreaks can lessen eye strain and make workers more attentive, which lowers the risk of mishaps or mistakes, even in office environments.
Safety visibility
When it comes to safety, having the attitude “out of sight, out of mind” is dangerous. Making safety obvious can gently encourage staff members to exercise caution all day long. Use eye-catching signage, posters, and digital displays around the workplace to regularly reinforce critical safety messages. These can be regularly changed to emphasize different safety tips, such as washing your hands properly, using safe lifting techniques, or knowing what to do in an emergency.
In addition, you can design safety boards that display positive safety statistics (such as days without incidents) or offer future safety training opportunities. This continuous visual cue can act as a subliminal warning to remain vigilant about possible threats.
Add safety updates in performance reviews
Although job performance and productivity are the main topics of most performance reviews, including safety behaviors in assessments can highlight how important they are. Employees who show a strong dedication to safety procedures or who provide suggestions for improving workplace safety should be rewarded.
Acknowledging these achievements in evaluations promotes positive behavior and demonstrates that safety is just as important as other job duties. Similarly, take advantage of these reviews to find out where staff members might require further guidance or assistance in order to guarantee that safety standards are met.
Safety celebrations
Speaking of rewards, let’s discuss safety celebrations. Everyone enjoys being praised, and encouraging a culture of safety may be as simple as marking safe work environment achievements. These celebrations can help encourage excellent behavior, whether it’s thanking staff members who regularly follow safety procedures or exceeding 100 days without an accident.
By providing modest rewards like gift cards, team lunches, or more time off, you can keep things interesting. These festivities also serve as a friendly reminder to staff members that maintaining safety requires constant effort and motivation.
