Health And Safety Culture
Updated: Jan 4
Changing a health and safety culture following a period of uncertainty.
Health and safety should be viewed as the most important item on all agendas. Everyone’s health and safety at work is a basic right, we should strive to ensure that everyone goes home from work in a safe condition whilst also looking to improve all-around well-being including mental health.
1. Commitment and Communication. Both are critical aspects of a successful and positive safety culture in the workplace.
The health and safety statement of intent (SOI) is signed by the CEO / MD to demonstrate the organisation's commitment to health and safety. The SOI will be displayed on company noticeboards and in breakout areas, it will also be covered in toolbox talks delivered to all staff.
A more modern method but at a cost would be to have digital screens showing health and safety messages as well as the SOI, in the long term this would reduce paperwork and person-hours taken in changing the information on all noticeboards, in addition, all panels could be updated at the touch of a button. It can show accident-free hours, initiatives, blogs and daily information i.e., weather warnings, contractor's works, etc.
2. Lead by example
All senior personnel must lead by example, demonstrating a commitment to best practice. This will include wearing personal protective equipment where required, sticking to walkways and not cutting corners and delivering safety talks to their teams on a regular (monthly basis) which will be tracked through KPI’s.
3. Develop and implement a positive reporting process
Managers should conduct regular safety tours in their areas of responsibility, this should involve different members of their teams. Once this is embedded, personnel can conduct safety tours in other departments, again tracked through KPI’s
4. Provision of training
All employees should undertake health and safety training over and above the induction training. Essential training should include fire awareness and manual handling. Additional training should be scheduled in line with an individual's work stream.
5. Involve employees
The above initiatives will involve all staff, in health and safety, and there should be no differentiation between senior members of the management team and factory operatives, this can be accomplished through sharing ideas, delivering training courses and, as in point one, keeping everyone informed.
Base Solutions also offer competent Health & Safety advice and guidance. Just give us a call or send us a message via our website.
Tel: 020 3976 9478