National Safety Month is a time for professionals across the world of workplace safety, ergonomics, injury prevention, and technology to share the important work being done in these sectors to help protect the wellness and safety of workers in every industry. We’re kicking off our blog series for National Safety Month with a key topic that concerns every safety professional, regardless of industry: employee engagement.
Why is employee engagement important?
As any safety professional or on-site care provider will tell you, the success of an injury prevention program depends on how well it is accepted not only by the front-line workers but also by mid-level managers up to the C-suite. It’s essential to secure total buy-in to every step of the process, from the initial strategy phase when potential hazards and risk patterns are identified to administrative interventions and on-site programming such as hands-on pain relief therapies, ergonomic assessments, technique coaching, and any other solution that directly interfaces with the most at-risk employees.
This is how organizations build what is commonly called a “safety culture.” First coined by Dr. Steven Simon in 1983, the phrase “safety culture” encompasses the entire organization and is critical for getting the most out of any injury prevention program.
Important Elements of a Strong Safety Culture
A true culture of safety does not happen by itself; it must be actively fostered by a company’s leadership in tandem with its safety managers down to the front-line workers. Here are a few key elements of a positive safety culture that can help employers improve outcomes and get the best possible return on their safety dollars:
1) Communication: A safety program relies heavily on how well it is communicated to the most affected members of a team. It’s up to leadership to develop communications that effectively relay both the key tactics (on-site programming, training, other available services) and the overall strategy, as well as the importance of the safety program to the success and health of the workforce.
2) Accountability: A strong safety culture must encourage accountability and trust between front-line employees, safety managers, and organizational leaders. Workers must feel comfortable and safe to report hazards and potential injury risks to their managers without fear of reprisal—after all, the workers are your most reliable and trustworthy source of information when it comes to their own safety concerns.
3) Whole-person support: The NIOSH Total Worker Health™ approach keys in on every aspect of a worker’s experience, including their time on the job as well as the factors in their personal lives that impact safety and wellness. By supporting employees’ overall wellness—physical, mental, financial, etc.—organizations send the message that they are truly invested in their workers’ health and well-being, helping generate trust and enthusiasm as employees learn to take charge of their safety and wellness.
Podcast: Building a Safety Culture for Industrial Athletes, featuring Dr. Steven Simon
Last year, we interviewed the father of safety culture himself, Dr. Steven Simon, for an episode of the DORN Injury Prevention Academy Podcast. Watch the episode for a detailed examination of the factors at play in building a strong safety culture.
Stay tuned to the DORN blog for more exclusive insights from this year’s National Safety Month.
