There are a lot of factors that go into creating a healthy and safe work environment, but communication is definitely near the top of the list in importance.
Employers need to know what to tell employees about safety topics and how to convey that information. Like so many things related to occupational health and safety, this is easier said than done. After all, sometimes the way you deliver a message is just as important as the message. That’s why we wanted to share some tips on the best ways to communicate with employees when discussing safety topics and other pertinent safety information.
Whenever possible, try to stay away from safety training and safety discussions in large groups. Obviously, this can be a good way to share information quickly. But smaller meetings tend to make it easier to get your message across. It promotes more open discussions and one-on-one conversations that can help in communicating more effectively by making sure that employees understand what’s expected of them from a safety standpoint.
Toolbox talks are usually an effective way of making sure employees stay focused on safety. They don’t have to be lengthy or time-consuming. Instead, they can just serve as daily reminders of what hazards employees should worry about and how to handle certain situations. Merely taking the time to have toolbox talks can remind employees about the importance of safety while also creating a forum for anybody to come forward in a group setting with any questions or concerns they might have.
After any type of safety training, it’s always a good idea to seek feedback from employees about the training they experienced. For starters, this can let you know if the training was effective. With a few simple questions, you can find out if they understood the training or if additional training is required. Also, seeking out employee feedback can help you discover ways to improve training in the future. After all, the employees will be able to tell what they liked and didn’t like about the training and what could be done differently.
It’s always unfortunate when accidents or even scary near-misses happen, but they should never be ignored. Company leaders should always have discussions with employees about what happened, what went wrong, and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. Even if there weren’t serious consequences, the accident needs to be discussed at length. Every accident should be treated as a learning opportunity so that something similar never happens again.
Transparency is always a key part of workplace safety. That means company leaders should communicate any pertinent safety information to employees. Not only do workers have a right to know everything about their safety and well-being but sharing everything also promotes trust in the workplace. Employees need to know that they can trust their employer to do everything possible to keep them safe. That trust begins with open communication and transparency.
To help get everyone on the same page when it comes to employee health and safety, many companies use comprehensive safety management software like the kind offered by EHS Insight. Our safety solutions connect every element of workplace health and safety on one platform. It also plays a key role in communicating with employees on safety topics so that nothing gets overlooked or forgotten when it comes to occupational safety.
If you aren’t using a comprehensive safety system, give us a call because we can have our safety management software up and running before you know it.