Safety isn’t just about ticking boxes and meeting legal standards. Recognised increasingly as a cornerstone of sustainable organisational success, safety is integral to both excellence and resilience. This article explores how cultivating a strong safety culture complies with laws and fundamentally enhances organisational resilience.
Think of cultivating a strong safety culture as nurturing a garden. Once the seeds of safety are planted and tended, what grows is trust and commitment at every level of the company. A well-maintained safety culture does more than protect—it enhances employee morale, boosts productivity, and creates a more engaged workforce.
When you have a great culture of safety—a climate where safety principles are valued, prioritised, and embedded into every level of an organisation—it does more than protect. It enhances employee morale, increases productivity, and creates a more engaged workforce. We call this going beyond compliance.
We’ve discussed safety culture before, but to reiterate, it is an environment where organisational practices, attitudes, behaviours, and beliefs prioritise safety. In such cultures, safety is not seen as an obligation or a set of rules imposed by external bodies (although you do have to obey the law) but as a fundamental, shared value that permeates all business operations and decisions.
A strong safety culture cannot be overstated. It is the first step toward organisational resilience, preparing businesses to manage and adapt to various risks, including accidents, natural disasters, and other operational disruptions. This resilience helps minimise the impact of such events, supports business continuity, protects the workforce, and helps maintain your reputation.
So, let’s explore:
- What elements contribute to cultivating a safety culture
- Assess current practices
- Provide strategic insights into successfully implementing these practices to comply with safety standards and lead with them
By the end, it will be clear that safety, far from being a just checklist or an afterthought, is integral to the long-term resilience of any organisation.
The Elements of a Safety Culture
Commitment from Leadership
Leadership commitment is essential, and it must start with a top-down approach where leaders exemplify safety as a core value. Drawing from Simon Sinek’s concept of the "Circle of Safety" from his book Leaders Eat Last, we see that creating a protective environment cultivates trust and collaboration, which is necessary for operational resilience.
Basically, we all need a circle of safety. While he is not referring to health and safety per se, the beauty of this message is that we all need to feel safe. This is especially true in the work environment.
Leadership can create a protective ring that creates trust and collaboration. This security is not just about ensuring physical safety but about creating a space where employees are mentally and emotionally protected, allowing them to express themselves fully and engage with their jobs without worrying about other stuff.
When leaders prioritise safety, they set the tone for open communication and continuous learning. Employees in these environments are more likely to report errors, propose interesting solutions, and share feedback constructively, knowing that their contributions are valued and that they are not at risk of ridicule or criticism for voicing their thoughts.
Senior executives must lead by example, demonstrating a genuine commitment to safety, which inspires employees at all levels to follow suit.
Employee Involvement
We recognise that this can be a tough one, but employee involvement is one of the keys to cultivating a proactive safety culture. Encouraging active participation and input from employees empowers them and leverages their firsthand experience with operational hazards. Ken Blanchard, a well-known management expert, suggests, "The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority. This is especially true when it comes to safety." By involving employees in safety discussions, organisations can create a sense of ownership and responsibility among staff, making safety a shared goal.
This strategy promotes a sense of ownership and directly engages with the previously mentioned leadership initiatives, creating a cohesive safety environment.
Regular Training
An organisation's ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage." Jack Welch
Consistent training and clear communication are the backbone of a safety culture. Regular, engaging training sessions ensure all employees are equipped to safely perform their tasks, echoing Jack Welch’s sentiments on the rapid translation of learning into action. Furthermore, the ongoing battle for clear communication is addressed, reinforcing the necessity for precise and accessible safety policies.
This suite of IOSH courses will certainly help to ensure that safety awareness is cultivated.
Clear Communication
We talk about clear communication a lot because it seems that things still get missed no matter how clear you think your communication is. It is an ongoing battle. Despite best efforts, miscommunications can still occur, and important information can be overlooked or misunderstood.
However, clear communication of safety policies and procedures is essential to ensure they are well understood and implemented by everyone in the organisation. Communication should be precise, accessible, and ongoing. Stephen R. Covey, author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," noted that Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication." This trust is cultivated by transparently and consistently communicating about safety, ensuring that safety norms are understood and respected across the organisation.
Accountability and Reinforcement
Finally, establishing clear responsibilities and consequences for safety practices solidifies the framework of a safety culture. Accountability ensures that safety protocols are followed and integrated into all team members' daily routines. This translates into enforcing rules, recognising and rewarding compliance, and addressing violations constructively. As an organisation, we want people with a ‘can do’ attitude who understand the importance and value of safety. Peter Drucker once said, "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."
These are just a few of our thoughts to support the creation of organisational resilience.
Assessing Current Safety Culture
So where are you and where do you want to go? Organisations must first understand their current standing to effectively build and enhance a safety culture. This is the stake in the ground time.
Tools and Strategies for Measuring the Existing Safety Climate
Surveys and questionnaires are commonly used to gather anonymous employee feedback, providing insights into their perceptions and attitudes towards workplace safety. Observational assessments (walking the floor) offer valuable data. If you see it, you can address it.
You’ll also have specialised software or even the humble spreadsheet available to assess safety metrics such as incident rates, near misses, and compliance scores.
Importance of Employee Feedback and Safety Audits
If you don’t ask, you don’t get, and asking employees for feedback is invaluable because they are the ones who directly interact with the organisation's safety protocols on a daily basis. As safety guru James Reason posited, "Human error is both inevitable and unpredictable, and preventing it requires insight from all levels." Regularly soliciting employee feedback helps identify unseen hazards and creates a culture of openness and mutual trust.
Safety audits are another important component, providing a systematic, independent review of policies, procedures, and compliance. These audits help ensure safety practices are in place, effective, and adhered to. Regular evaluation facilitates continuous improvement and helps organisations align their safety procedures with industry standards and regulations.
Challenges in Cultivating a Safety Culture
There are many challenges, the most significant of which include resistance to change, communication gaps, and limited resources.
Overcoming these obstacles requires targeted strategies that address the root causes of resistance and resource limitations:
Managing Resistance to Change
Engage employees in the change process through open forums and discussions, allowing them to voice concerns and contribute ideas. Educating employees about the benefits of a safety culture, not just for compliance but for their personal well-being, can also help reduce resistance.
Improving Communication
Implement regular and varied communication methods, such as digital newsletters, safety meetings, and interactive training sessions. Clear, consistent, and transparent communication from leadership about safety initiatives and their importance can bridge gaps.
Optimising Resources
Despite limited budgets, safety can be prioritised by leveraging technology, such as online training resources. Subscribing to training on a Learning Management System and using people as safety champions can provide much-needed resources and knowledge. These champions are trained extensively and are responsible for conducting regular safety checks and leading by example.
Cross-Functional Teams
Creating cross-functional safety teams is an effective strategy to ensure that safety is considered from multiple perspectives within the organisation. These teams can work on identifying risks, developing mitigation strategies, and promoting safety awareness across departments.
Safety Briefings
Every project and task should start with a safety briefing and include safety checkpoints throughout its execution.
Rewards
Another idea uses behavioural-based safety (BBS) approaches, which focus on changing individual behaviours towards safety through positive reinforcement rather than penalties. This approach has been effective in many industries, particularly those involving high-risk activities. Reward good attitudes and actions.
Staying Up To Date
Continuous improvement mechanisms must be embedded in the organisation to sustain and enhance a safety culture. This involves regular assessments of safety practices and the safety climate through surveys, audits, and meetings. As we’ve said, feedback from employees is invaluable.
You also need to implement an effective incident reporting system. These systems should make it easy for employees to report safety incidents and near misses without fear of retribution. The data collected from these reports is essential for identifying patterns and areas for improvement.
Responding swiftly and constructively to incident reports is equally important. This involves addressing the specific incident and analysing it to prevent future occurrences. Such responses demonstrate the organisation's commitment to safety and can significantly improve trust and participation in safety programs.
What Next?
True operational resilience emerges from a commitment to safety at every level of the organisation. It's about creating a protective ecosystem where employees feel equipped and empowered to contribute to your collective security.
The path towards organisational resilience is both necessary and achievable. Safety is a dynamic process that requires continuous commitment and improvement. We invite you to consider the following steps:
- Conduct a Comprehensive Safety Audit: Start with a thorough assessment of your current safety practices. Identify gaps and areas for improvement by involving insights from across all levels of your organisation. This will form the basis for targeted enhancements.
- Develop a Safety Improvement Plan: Based on the audit findings, develop a strategic plan that addresses identified weaknesses. Set clear, achievable goals and timelines for implementing safety improvements.
- Invest in Training and Resources: Ensure that all team members have access to the necessary training and resources to safely perform their duties. Consider adopting a learning management system that offers ongoing education on safety practices.
- Adopt Open Communication: Establish regular channels for open communication where employees can discuss safety issues without fear of retribution. This could include regular safety meetings, anonymous feedback tools, and encouragement of a speak-up culture.
- Monitor and Adjust: Safety is an ongoing commitment. Regularly review the effectiveness of your safety measures and make adjustments as necessary. Celebrate successes to motivate your team and demonstrate the value of their contributions to safety.
- Utilise Available Tools and Guides: Consider creating comprehensive safety culture toolkits and guides to assist you in these efforts. These resources will provide structured approaches to building and maintaining a robust safety culture.
- Commit to Continuous Improvement: Finally, embed a philosophy of continuous improvement within your organisation's culture. Encourage innovation in safety, and be prepared to adapt strategies as new challenges and opportunities arise.
It might seem like a lot on top of everything else but considering the role culture plays in organisational resilience will mean your business is prepared to face future challenges head-on.
Act now and call Ligtas to support your safety initiatives that will take you beyond compliance. Act today for a safer, more resilient tomorrow.
