Here's how you can prioritize workplace safety in your startup.

In the dynamic startup environment, prioritizing Workplace Safety as a strategic asset is essential. Integrating Safety into core business processes from the start is crucial. Ensuring H&S regulatory compliance and fostering a strong Safety Culture is vital. Leveraging “Coaching for Safety” is a great way to aid in developing a great Safety Culture. Shifting from traditional safety training to a coaching model that empowers employees, enhancing engagement and ownership. This approach fosters a flatter organizational structure conducive to enhance information flow and responsibility sharing. By focusing on empowering rather than instructing, employees are better equipped to recognize and react to hazards, significantly reducing incidents.

Provide Written Protocols: Document safety procedures in writing. This includes emergency evacuation plans, first aid instructions, and safety guidelines. Make these protocols easily accessible to all employees. Encourage Employee Contributions: Empower employees to actively participate in maintaining safety. Encourage them to report hazards, suggest improvements, and share safety-related insights. Regularly seek feedback and involve employees in safety discussions. Implement and Evaluate: Regularly assess safety measures and adjust them as needed. Conduct safety audits, inspections, and drills. Continuously improve safety practices based on feedback and evolving needs.

If you are starting up, setting safety as a part of your core business should be into higher priorities, lead a culture of safety involving your whole company. Set the path and let the experts help you.

Moreover, integrate behavioural safety observations into your risk assessment process. Encourage employees to actively observe and report unsafe behaviours or practices. By involving employees in hazard identification, you tap into their frontline insights and enhance overall safety awareness. This proactive approach not only complements traditional risk assessments but also fosters a culture of shared responsibility for workplace safety. Empowering employees to participate in safety initiatives cultivates a sense of ownership and commitment to maintaining a safe working environment, ultimately reducing the likelihood of incidents and injuries.

Identifying hazards can provide us the opportunity of coming up with ways to mitigate them. Mitigating these hazards can lessen the probability of occurrence and, in some cases, the potential impact. Is head injury a potential hazard? We can mitigate it with the use of safety helmets. How about heat stroke? We can recommend providing shade while at the workplace. Risk assessment may not completely eliminate the hazards, but it can help us become vigilant and more aware of the hazard causes.

If possible, there should be a distinction between earthquake and smoke alarms. Earthquake alarms tell us that we should let the rumbling occur first before we head out to the emergency exits. For smoke alarms, however, we should exit the building immediately to prevent smoke suffocation.