In occupational safety, there’s an old adage that if you see something say something. In other words, if a worker is concerned with any workplace hazard that may impact the safety of an employee, they should speak up. Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple when it comes to workplace safety hazards. But how should employees react to recognizing a potential safety hazard? Let’s look at the appropriate steps that should be taken to help address any workplace safety hazards.
Know Who to Contact Beforehand
There’s always a chain of command in companies, and so employees should always know where they fall in that chain of command. Obviously, they should be aware if they have to supervise any employees. But they should also know the supervisor they should contact if they have a question or concern about workplace safety. In fact, there should be multiple people who you can notify to make sure the concern is addressed, especially if there is a dedicated safety manager. If employees know who they can speak to about a concern before there is a concern, it’ll be easier to get it addressed as quickly as possible.
Notify Co-Workers
When an employee notices a safety error or concern, they should inform both their supervisor and any of their co-workers whose job could be impacted by that safety concern. If they notice a co-worker who is not following safety protocols, they should speak to that person and notify a supervisor so it can be handled. But if there’s a safety issue that’s not related to human error, it’s important to share that information with co-workers so that they’re not unknowingly put in harm’s way. That way, multiple people can go to a supervisor or safety manager and express concern about a potential safety problem.
Share the Problem and a Solution
In many instances, it’s hard to claim that there is a problem if you don’t offer a solution for it. Obviously, it’s not always the job of an employee to fix a safety issue. But it’s always best to notify a supervisor or manager about a safety issue while also offering a potential solution for that problem. If an employee has a solution, it’s more likely that the supervisor listening will take them seriously. That will also make it easier to get the ball rolling when it comes to fixing the safety issue as quickly as possible.
Always Follow Up
This might be the most important step for any employee who reports a safety problem. It’s up to the person who reports a safety hazard to make sure that something is being done to address it. Ideally, the company has supervisors and safety managers who take every potential safety hazard seriously. But it’s perfectly fine for employees to hold company leaders accountable when it comes to correcting safety issues. There should be no reason for employees to be afraid of being a whistleblower or making sure that safety matters are taken seriously, which means there should always be follow-up on safety complaints.
Use Software to Identify Hazards and Communicate
One of the best ways for companies in any industry to identify hazards, correct them, and communicate with employees is to utilize safety management software. The system offered by EHS Insight is the ideal solution because it brings together all elements of workplace safety on one platform. That means everything is connected and nothing gets lost in the shuffle. Therefore, hazards can be identified and addressed more efficiently and company leaders can communicate with employees.
If you want to be more organized and efficient when it comes to workplace safety, get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to become your new safety partner.
