The Health & Safety Divide

The Health & Safety Divide

So many times have I seen the divide between management and employees, and definitely in health and safety, 'do as I say not as I do' comes to mind, employees and managers not taking safety seriously. How can a workforce begin to form a positive health & safety culture  when their seniors only pay lip service, safety standards and procedures should be uniform throughout the organisation, a positive pro-active approach should be taken to safety, invest in your employees and they will protect your business investment, only when this is done can you develop a strong safety culture.

Managers and Supervisors should lead be example and encourage their employees to work in unison. Employees should be encouraged to take responsibility for their own Health & Safety, giving them ownership.

To achieve a positive Health and Safety culture, the way employees behave must be positive.

 

COMMON BEHAVIOURS THAT NEED TO CHANGE ARE:

Cutting corners to save time - It may be tempting for front line employees not to use personal protective equipment to complete a quick task because they perceive it as wasting time.

Ergonomic factors - If machine controls are inappropriately placed, employees might compromise safety to access them.

Accepted practice - There is often a mindset of ‘we have always done it this way’. This can perpetuate poor practice.

Reinforcement of at-risk behaviour by supervisors - Supervisors lead by example, and if they are not committed to safety this will contribute to a poor culture.

Misunderstanding at-risk behaviour - Education is key to understanding and practising safe behaviour.

Instinctive risk taking behaviour - Some employees are naturally inclined to take risks.

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