The culture of an organization sets the tone for everything in the safety arena.

In a positive safety culture, everything you do about safety is important. You don’t have safety rules just to have them. You have them to prevent injuries or worse, fatal accidents.

A good way to earn a commitment from employees is to allow them to participate in drawing up a safety plan. Management should make it clear that it is inviting and welcoming help to operate as safely as possible. Urge employees’ creativity and innovative solutions to solve hazards or create processes that improve safety and increase productivity.

It’s also crucial that management is sincere in its commitment and need for a safe workplace.

Here is an RS SafetyTV link to a short series of videos on safety as a workplace culture.

Managers should periodically ask: what have I done to promote a culture of safety within the company? What else can I consider to improve my company’s safety record? Accidents with injuries are not just tough on employees. They also weaken your company’s safety record and reputation and risk injury insurance claims that can increase financial and productivity costs for the company.

WR employs Rick Means as Director of Safety & Education. He can help members to draw up safety plans and suggest topics for safety meetings. Contact him at 360-200-6454 or [email protected].