How do you create a supportive safety climate?

1 Assess your current safety climate

The first step is to evaluate the current state of your safety climate and identify the strengths and weaknesses. You can use various methods, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, audits, or observations, to collect feedback from your employees, managers, and stakeholders. You can also benchmark your safety performance against industry standards or best practices. The goal is to understand the gaps, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in your safety policies, practices, and outcomes.

2 Communicate your safety vision and goals

The next step is to communicate your safety vision and goals to your employees and managers, and explain why they are important and how they align with your organizational values and objectives. You can use different channels, such as newsletters, meetings, posters, or intranet, to share your safety message and expectations. You can also involve your employees and managers in setting realistic and measurable safety goals and action plans, and provide them with the necessary resources and support to achieve them.

3 Engage your employees and managers in safety activities

The third step is to engage your employees and managers in various safety activities that promote their participation, ownership, and accountability for safety. You can create safety committees, teams, or champions to involve them in decision-making, problem-solving, and improvement initiatives. You can also encourage them to report hazards, incidents, or near-misses, and provide them with feedback and recognition. You can also offer them training, coaching, or mentoring opportunities to enhance their safety skills and knowledge.

4 Monitor and evaluate your safety performance and climate

The fourth step is to monitor and evaluate your safety performance and climate on a regular basis, and use the data to identify trends, patterns, or issues that need attention. You can use various indicators, such as injury rates, absenteeism, turnover, compliance, or satisfaction, to measure your safety outcomes. You can also use surveys, audits, or interviews to assess your safety climate and culture. The goal is to track your progress, celebrate your achievements, and adjust your strategies as needed.

5 Reinforce your safety values and behaviors

The fifth step is to reinforce your safety values and behaviors through consistent and positive reinforcement. You can use various methods, such as rewards, incentives, recognition, or feedback, to acknowledge and appreciate your employees and managers for their safety contributions and accomplishments. You can also use discipline, coaching, or counseling to correct or prevent unsafe or inappropriate behaviors. The goal is to create a sense of pride, trust, and commitment to safety among your employees and managers.

6 Learn and improve from your safety experiences

The sixth step is to learn and improve from your safety experiences, both positive and negative. You can use various tools, such as debriefs, reviews, or audits, to analyze and learn from your safety incidents, near-misses, or best practices. You can also use surveys, interviews, or focus groups to collect and share feedback and suggestions from your employees, managers, and stakeholders. The goal is to identify and implement lessons learned, best practices, or improvement opportunities for your safety performance and climate.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?