How to Get Workers Engaged in Your Safety Program

How to Get Workers Engaged in Your Safety Program How to Get Workers Engaged in Your Safety Program Workplace safety is essential. But you can only be confident in the safety of your workplace if everyone is involved with your companys safety program. It can be challenging to increase employee participation in a safety program, but the benefits of involvement are invaluable. Below, well review the different strategies you can use to promote safety at work. Step 1: Ensure Workers Understand the Importance of Safety The main reason for noncompliance in any workplace program is that employees dont feel its important enough or effective enough for them to participate. When it comes to workplace safety programs, employees need to feel like the program is worth their time and effort. The tricky part of explaining the  importance of a workplace safety program  is that actions often speak louder than words. So while you can share all the statistics available about how workplace safety programs will benefit them, workers will be most likely to participate when they see the program actually making a difference. Whether its the addition of readily available personal protective gear or adding a monthly training program to everyones schedules, workers will be encouraged to participate when they see the positive effects a safety program can have on their work environment. Step 2: Encourage Management to Participate While the safety program may be mandatory or strongly encouraged for the floor workers, asking management to participate will show all employees how serious you are about workplace safety. Leading by example takes on a whole different meaning when upper-management joins in on training sessions or leads a discussion group on common workplace injuries. If management doesnt participate in the safety program, employees will be questioning the importance of the program. Although it would be nice, its unrealistic to think that every member of the management team will participate in every safety program initiative. You can suggest a rotating participation schedule with a different manager joining each initiative. Another option is to work directly with a single manager for a liaison type of relationship. Step 3: Provide Easily Accessible Resources If you notice a lack of participation in your workplace safety program, double-check to see if all employees have access to the materials. This is especially important when a program is new. Employees are not going to spend their time seeking out safety resources, so you need to take the extra step to promote safety at work. Here are a few ideas for providing accessible resources: Offer engaging and fun training sessions  during regularly scheduled hours, so employees dont have to stay after their shift Provide protective gear at convenient stations for employees to take advantage of Host monthly lunch and learns as a dedicated place for discussing workplace safety issues Every workplace is going to have different needs. Feel free to experiment with your initiatives to see what resonates with the employees at your company. Step 4: Involve Workers in Decision Making Employees will be more likely to participate in the safety initiatives youre establishing if they have a say in the process. While including perspectives from different departments can be more time consuming than making an executive decision, the extra footwork will help reduce any friction you might receive. While there are plenty of ways you can  incorporate employees  in the decision-making process, some examples include: Monthly safety committees where everyone is invited to share their concerns and questions Implement Toolbox Talks where employees come up with their own safety issues to discuss and share Polls about proposed initiatives where employees can vote if they agree or disagree A suggestion box as an easily accessible way for employees to share their ideas Step 5: Use Positive Reinforcement Everyone wants to be recognized for positive behavior. Employees working toward an injury-free environment are no exception. Unfortunately, there isnt a one-size-fits-all option for a  positive feedback program. You will have to ask the employees what they would like to see and what would encourage them to participate. Your positive reinforcement can be as formal or as informal as youd like â€"you just want to make sure to thank employees for their safe habits. Ways you can incorporate a positive reinforcement include: Points System: Each positive action has a point value associated with it. Managers and fellow employees can report when they see a positive action. The points can then be redeemed for more substantial rewards. Announcements: Employees that implemented safety best practices can be nominated for a feature in the company newsletter or for recognition on a plaque or signed posted on the floor. Company-Wide Rewards: Depending on the size of your company, it could be near impossible to recognize safety at an employee level. Instead, you can reward positive behavior on a team or company-wide basis. Pass out small gift cards, provide a catered lunch, or put on a party to show the team how much you appreciate their efforts. No matter how you design your positive reinforcement program, the goal of the program should be to encourage the continual practicing of safety best practices. After all, positive reinforcement has been shown to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. Start Getting Employees Involved with Safety Training Now that you have a better idea of how to get employees involved in safety, its time to finalize the safety training and tips you will be offering as part of your program. For the most up-to-date and inclusive OSHA training, chose one of our  OSHA 10 OSHA 30 online training course.