Experienced safety pros know that investment in injury prevention, ergonomic assessments, and employee training cannot succeed without an organization-wide safety culture that prizes accountability, transparency, and buy-in from the top down. Dr. Steven Simon, President of Culture Change Consultants, Inc., is widely recognized as the “father of safety culture,” has coined the phrase in 1983 alongside a robust methodology for instilling positive culture changes with significant effects on safety outcomes. With more than 30 years of experience helping organizations develop holistic safety strategies, Dr. Simon is a foundational thought leader in workplace safety and injury prevention. We were thrilled to have Dr. Simon join us on the DORN Injury Prevention Academy Podcast, where we covered:
- The evolution of safety culture over the last three decades
- How instilling a safety culture impacts hard safety numbers like injury rates and workers’ comp costs
- Three key building blocks employers must include in their safety programs
Watch the interview with Dr. Simon on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZELlleBTqAk
What is Safety Culture?
Today’s safety leaders are keenly aware of the importance of front-line safety tactics that reduce risk, such as ergonomic assessments, industrial athlete training, and employee fitness programs. However, according to Dr. Simon, those programs can only be so effective without an organizational culture that empowers employees to take charge of their safety and well-being. In his recent article, “Creating a Work Culture of Psychological Safety: Making it Safe to Speak Up,” Dr. Simon explores the necessity of developing a sense of psychological safety that encourages workers to report risks, workplace hazards, and problems with task or workstation design without fear of reprisal on the part of their employer. In his view, a positive safety culture does not happen on its own—rather, employers must be intentional in establishing psychological safety at every level of the organization. He identifies these levels as the Individual, the Team, Leadership, and Culture. From mitigating ergonomic risk to developing safety training programs that target the most pressing sources of injury risk for employees, interventions at each of the four levels of the organization must be analyzed not just for their raw effectiveness, but also for how they contribute to the overall safety culture. Read Dr. Simon’s article on LinkedIn.
Is your organization looking to improve its safety culture and empower employees to participate in the process of company-wide safety standards?
Contact DORN today to explore how your organization and your workers can benefit from data-backed strategies like ergonomic risk assessments, industrial athlete training to replace stretch and flex programs, and cutting-edge safety tech—all of which can help you instill a strong safety culture and improve your bottom line: info@DORNcompanies.com
