When you have a business and employ people, you need to provide a safe workplace. No worker should ever feel like their lives are endangered when doing their jobs. In addition to your protective equipment and security protocols, promoting a culture of safety is just as vital. You want to encourage your workforce to prioritize health and safety, treating the company guidelines with duty and responsibility.

Improving safety culture in the workplace takes time. You need to foster its growth with ongoing training, which builds knowledge in every team member. After employees have received health and safety training, you might notice a positive difference in their conduct. Your team will feel more comfortable and confident about the workplace conditions, leading to increased morale.

Do you want to promote a thriving safety subculture at your company? Let’s learn about five ways of improving the health and safety culture in the workplace:

Prioritize health and safety culture in the workplace.

Start by establishing a core set of safety values that all employees should follow in the workplace. From injury, health and fire emergency plans to electrical safety guidelines, these rules will ensure everyone is on the same page. Every team member, including upper management, must know about the hazards they may encounter during the workday. They must also become familiar with the safety procedures implemented to keep everyone safe.

In addition, treat your health and safety program with a sense of priority. You are required to conduct regular meetings with your Joint Health and Safety Committee to keep workers aware of any health and safety issues they may face. Your continuous efforts will emphasize to employees that health and safety are essential values in the workplace culture. When workers understand that the company cherishes their well-being, you build an environment of trust.

Provide ongoing health and safety training.

Health and safety training equips your employees with essential knowledge, which can be applied around the workplace. For instance, WHMIS training will familiarize your staff with the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, helpful in managing dangerous materials, this training must be reviewed annually.

Similarly, CPR and first aid training can teach workers to respond appropriately during health emergencies. Employers are required to ensure there is always one person in the charge of first aid available in the workplace at all times. We recommend every Supervisor receive this training at a minimum.

Completing the first set of training sessions is only the starting point. Your staff should continue to enroll in training programs to keep their health and safety expertise up to date. Their ongoing commitment will be significant for improving safety culture in the workplace.

Have a health and safety consultant.

An excellent idea for improving safety culture in the workplace is to consult with an expert. This is where the team at Safety First Consulting can help your workplace. Have a dedicated employee who is highly trained and knowledgeable about all safety aspects of your business. Their job is to inspect the workplace and monitor activities to ensure safety procedures are followed. If there are areas of improvement, a Safety First consultant can offer recommendations to make the processes safer.

Our consultants are not only looking for problems. Our goal is to continuously improve worker health and safety awareness. We may help coordinate company meetings to update the team about the latest safety protocols and answer any questions. We can also serve as the liaison between employees and management for any health and safety concerns. Our team will provide expert advice and ensure you are meeting your health and safety compliance requirements.

Involve employees in health and safety improvements.

If you want to maintain a health and safety culture in the workplace, involve your staff in the process. Since your employees are doing the frontline work, they’re more likely to spot potential hazards. Allow them to voice their concerns during your safety meetings. Work together to come up with a solution. An effective Joint Health and Safety Committee is the best way to facilitate this process.

In the meeting, your employees may share stories of their close calls and near misses. Other staff members might appreciate hearing these experiences from their fellow workers instead of a backend manager. You can even reward employees who catch a potential threat. The idea is to keep everyone engaged and motivated about improving the safety culture in the workplace.

Encourage feedback about health and safety.

Employees should not feel hesitant to voice their concerns about safety issues at work. The management team needs to encourage the staff to communicate openly about any unsafe conditions. There must never be retaliation against a staff member for speaking up. Instead, the company can see it as an opportunity to assess and address any safety concerns.

In addition, this communication works both ways. Your organization should inform workers about any safety issues that were observed. Safety communication includes offering additional training, answering questions, giving positive reinforcement, or discipline if necessary. Finally, ensure there is a quick way to promote any new health and safety information across the business.