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.
