The essence of any HES program is for employees to have an awareness of self-care and safety in their workplaces. To implement this culture, a comprehensive and sustainable strategy that promotes its development is required. Below are some practices that can be useful:
1. Assertive communication:
All employees must understand safety policies and procedures, which means, that they must be communicated clearly for any position in the company.
2. Committed leadership:
The company’s leaders must be a role model in terms of safety and self-care. It is through management practices that the culture is permeated. Therefore, it is vital to demonstrate their commitment, as well as to encourage employee participation.
3. Identify and evaluate workplace risks:
Before promoting a culture, it is essential to identify possible risks of the operation to guarantee the safety and health of the employees. Once identified, control and mitigation measures should be established to minimize the risks.
4. Establish safety policies and procedures:
They are a clear and detailed guide to the practices, behaviors, and preventive measures that must be taken in the workplace to prevent accidents and work-related illnesses. Their good implementation guarantees employee and team protection, accident reduction, employee well-being, as well as legal compliance.
5. Provide necessary training
Workers must receive training to prevent workplace risks, the proper use of personal protective equipment, as well as the implementation of safety procedures. Adequate training, in fact, prevents accidents, reduces costs associated with work-related illnesses, and increases productivity, as it allows for the development of specific task skills and knowledge.
6. Involve workers
To achieve active employee participation, communication channels must be established that encourage knowledge transfer, experience sharing, and active participation. These three factors help identify hidden risks, find practical solutions, and consequently foster continuous improvement.
7. Conduct periodic inspections
Periodic inspections allow for correcting work practices that may be dangerous to the health and safety of workers. Therefore, it is important to conduct periodic inspections in the workplace to ensure that safety procedures are being followed.
8. Incentivize and recognize the safety culture
It is important to incentivize and recognize those workers who adopt safe behaviors in the workplace since it increases innovation, as employees feel more motivated and valued, improves performance, increases process efficiency, and improves the company’s image to other employees, customers, and the community in general.
In summary, fostering a safety culture requires a commitment from all members of the organization, as well as a continuous process of evaluation, training, communication, and motivation. By following these steps, one will be on the right path to promoting a safety culture in any company.