-
Workplace safety programs encourage employees to use caution and common sense while performing their jobs. Prevention of injuries ranges in scope from wearing protective clothing, keeping watch over coworkers or steering clear of illicit substances. Developing a successful promotion requires clearly-defined goals as well as an overall company culture that embraces safety awareness. Occupational safety campaign suggestions include sharing true stories of workplace dangers that deliver a more hard-hitting message than statistics.
Goals
-
Safety leaders must define the underlying issues and then establish realistic and measurable goals at the onset of any campaign. For example, the state of Washington wants to reduce occupational deaths and hospitalizations, according to the state's Department of Health website. State data shows that overall occupational fatalities are lower than the national average, but workers between 45 and 54 years are most prone to job injuries. Plus, transportation accidents represent the leading cause of occupational deaths in Washington. As a result, different messages are targeted toward younger, older and middle-age groups. Also, some messages are aimed at specific industries, such as transportation and construction. Social media is incorporated into the safety crusade to reach a larger audience with a broader message that occupational dangers impact everyone.
Culture
-
Occupational safety requires a top to bottom commitment starting with company and industry leaders. Focus on integrating safety into the everyday behaviors of each employee, not just on enforcing rules, according to the Workplace Safety Toolkit published at the Nonprofit Risk website. Ensure that your senior managers demonstrate that they are serious about safety. These top leaders not only must pledge funding to these initiatives, but they also have to offer compelling evidence that this cultural shift is important. Reward employees when they comply, and correct those workers who are careless. A safety culture also requires a well-respected safety authority who is empowered to enforce standards and implement change. Ongoing training is another integral part of a safety awareness environment.
Cases
-
Victims' stories carry powerful messages of the consequences of safety violations. The "Put Yourself In Our Boots" organization produced a 10-minute video about a law enforcement officer killed when he responded to a burglary alarm at a warehouse. The officer fell because of a safety hazard inside the warehouse, and a simple railing could have prevented the tragedy, according to the Our Boots website. Our Boots movement was launched as a result of this officer's death as a way of informing companies of the seriousness of any existing safety conditions. The special video shows the victim's coworkers and widow discussing the tragedy that could have been averted. The DVD is targeted toward employees of any company with the hopes of enlightening workers everywhere to be safety conscious.
No comments:
Post a Comment