Safety competencies are the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enable employees to perform their tasks safely and effectively. They are essential for preventing accidents, injuries, and illnesses in the workplace. But how can employees apply safety competencies in their work? Here are some tips to help you develop and demonstrate your safety competencies.
One of the most important safety competencies is the ability to identify hazards and risks in your work environment. Hazards are anything that can cause harm, such as chemicals, machinery, or electricity. Risks are the likelihood and severity of harm that can result from exposure to hazards. To identify hazards and risks, you need to observe your surroundings, use your senses, and consult safety information sources, such as labels, manuals, or policies. You also need to report any hazards or risks that you find to your supervisor or safety committee.
Another key safety competency is the ability to follow safety rules and procedures that are designed to protect you and others from harm. Safety rules and procedures are based on best practices, standards, and regulations that apply to your industry and organization. They cover topics such as personal protective equipment, emergency response, incident reporting, and hazard control. To follow safety rules and procedures, you need to understand them, comply with them, and reinforce them with your co-workers.
This cannot be more understated. A good measure of an organization’s safety culture is how much emphasis employees place in complying to the safety rules and how seriously they pay attention to safety related matters. An Organization with a strong safety culture would see its employees advocating for compliance and improvement to safety rules instead of fighting them.
A third essential safety competency is the ability to communicate and cooperate on safety with your colleagues, managers, and other stakeholders. Communication and cooperation on safety involve sharing information, feedback, and suggestions on how to improve safety performance and culture. They also involve listening to and respecting different perspectives, opinions, and experiences on safety issues. To communicate and cooperate on safety, you need to use clear, concise, and respectful language, ask questions, and participate in safety meetings, trainings, and audits.
A fourth vital safety competency is the ability to learn and improve on safety by acquiring new knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enhance your safety performance and culture. Learning and improving on safety involve seeking and applying feedback, identifying and addressing gaps in your safety competencies, and taking advantage of learning opportunities, such as mentoring, coaching, or online courses. They also involve reflecting on and evaluating your safety actions and outcomes, and making changes as needed.
A fifth important safety competency is the ability to demonstrate safety leadership by influencing and inspiring others to adopt safe behaviors and attitudes. Safety leadership is not only for managers or supervisors, but for anyone who wants to make a positive difference in their workplace. Demonstrating safety leadership involves setting a good example, showing commitment and accountability, recognizing and rewarding safe behaviors, and challenging and correcting unsafe behaviors. It also involves creating and supporting a positive safety culture that values and encourages safety competencies.
Always leading safely cannot be over emphasized. Subordinate and colleagues tends to be more influenced by action or inaction than by words. When you see something as a leader, say something and do something.
A sixth helpful safety competency is the ability to assess your safety competencies by measuring and monitoring your progress and performance on safety. Assessing your safety competencies involves using tools and methods, such as self-assessments, peer reviews, or performance appraisals, to collect and analyze data on your safety strengths and weaknesses. It also involves setting and reviewing your safety goals and action plans, and celebrating your achievements and improvements.