SAFETY CONSULTING
The 4-Part Formula for Safer Workplaces
Creating a Safety Program That Drives Positive Behavior Change
Here’s a staggering statistic: unsafe behaviors (rather than unsafe conditions) in the workplace account for 90% of work-related injuries. Despite the overwhelming data, many employers focus more on potentially unsafe conditions rather than addressing the root cause: employee behavior. This misalignment is also prevalent in OSHA compliance efforts.
Over my career, I've seen numerous clients request thorough audits to spot unsafe conditions when what they truly need is a review of employee behaviors.
But First, You’re Invited!
How to Survive an OSHA Inspection | October 17th, 2024
How an employer handles an OSHA inspection will largely determine the outcome. Because many employers are unfamiliar with the process, we offer our clients and community a complimentary workshop called How to Survive an OSHA Inspection. This event is coming up on October 17, 2024.
The 4-Part Formula for Safer Workplace Behaviors
The Backstory
Unfortunately, I’ve assisted many companies whose employees were killed or suffered serious injuries on the job as a result of unsafe behaviors.
These tragic incidents often prompt OSHA inspections, emphasizing the importance of proactive measures to protect employees from harm and employers from financial and reputational damage.
A recent study found that programs targeting unsafe workplace behaviors resulted in an average 25% reduction in injuries in year one, a 34% reduction in injuries in year two, and a 42% reduction in year three.
So, how do you create a program that drives positive behavior change? Let’s discuss.
Designing a Successful Safety Program
The safety program elements highlighted below are so effective in preventing accidents that OSHA allows its unpreventable employee misconduct defense as an affirmative means of avoiding OSHA citations created by unsafe employee behavior.
Leveraging this four-part framework not only sets your employees up for safety success but also protects your company from the significant fallout from workplace injury or death.
1. Put Pen to Paper with Written Rules and Procedures
Engineering controls and personal protective equipment are beneficial tools, but they can’t eliminate all hazards.
Rules and procedures are a necessary part of every safety program – and they must be in writing. Employees with a clear understanding of safety processes can align their behavior with expectations accordingly.
2. Empower Your Workforce with Training
Documenting policies and procedures is the first step, but certainly not the last.
Employers must train their teams in the rules necessary to help avoid injury. Formalized, written employee training is a vital pillar of any safety program. Employers must keep and continually update employee training records as evidence of their efforts.
3. Spot the Risks with Safety Audits
You may notice a pattern as these elements build on each other. Once you’ve trained your employees on your safety program, you have to follow up and ensure they adhere to the rules.
Conducting safety audits of the workplace and job sites is vital to ensuring compliance with all policies and procedures. As you may have guessed, these audits must also contain documented details about any discoveries and corrective actions uncovered during the audit.
4. Foster a Culture of Accountability
Accountability is the cornerstone of all successful safety programs.
The employer must take appropriate action if an employee violates a safety rule or procedure. I recommend a progressive disciplinary action program that determines consequences based on the seriousness of the infraction. When you engrain accountability into your culture, safety comes first. As with the other elements, evidence of disciplinary action must be in writing.
Putting the Pieces Together
Most employers can provide written evidence of safety procedures and training. However, many fail to take the next steps – conducting audits, documenting findings, and maintaining written evidence of disciplinary action.
It’s also important to point out that employers who implement each element of this framework empower their teams to create safer workplaces through improved behavior (which also leads to improved job site conditions). Creating a safer workplace and protecting your company from OSHA citations is a win/win situation.
Don't Forget to Join Us: How to Survive an OSHA Inspection
How an employer handles an OSHA inspection will largely determine the outcome. Because many employers are unfamiliar with the process, we offer our clients and community a complimentary workshop called How to Survive an OSHA Inspection – our next event is coming up on October 17, 2024.