Your team is resistant to safety changes. How can you unite them towards a safer workplace?

To unite a resistant team towards a safer workplace, open communication is key—clearly explain the reasons for the safety changes and how they benefit everyone. Involve the team in the process by seeking their input and addressing concerns, fostering a sense of ownership over the changes. Lead by example and demonstrate your commitment to safety by following the new protocols yourself. Offering training and support can ease the transition, helping employees feel more confident and engaged in the shift toward a safer work environment.

Para tornar as pessoas menos reativas à mudan?a, é essencial envolvê-las no processo e permitir que tenham voz, aumentando o senso de responsabilidade. Comunicar com clareza os motivos e benefícios da mudan?a também é importante para garantir entendimento. Além disso, oferecer suporte emocional, permitindo que expressem suas preocupa??es sem julgamento, ajuda a reduzir a resistência. Fornecer treinamento e recursos adequados também prepara melhor as pessoas, aumentando sua confian?a na transi??o.

Culture shifts start with understanding perspectives and and the vision (or directions.) There needs to be buy in for a shift in momentum and an understanding of "what's in it for me" to have people alter their foundations of opinions and process (including training and support materials.) Mandating a change, is like putting a poster on the wall with no follow through or support. There needs to be leadership, communication, role modelling and follow through including accountability (same standards for all) using a firm but fair model with support if needed.

Resistance often arises from fears about productivity impacts or misunderstandings of the changes' purpose. Create a platform for open dialogue, showing respect for their experiences and insights. Address specific issues that surface, which not only clarifies the rationale behind the measures but also makes team members feel valued and understood. This approach is essential in overcoming resistance, fostering a collaborative environment where safety improvements are embraced rather than resisted.

Resistance to safety guidelines, especially new ones, is to be expected. I have found that explaining the reason for a particular safety guideline is very helpful. If you take the time to explain why we require employees to wear a certain pipe or why we require 3 point contact, the coworkers understand the risk of injury by not adhering to a guideline. Another issue is don’t make up safety rules for the sake of making rules. Safety guidelines must be meaningful and serve a definite purpose.

Resistance to safety changes often stems from a lack of understanding. The most common reason I’ve encountered is that employees don’t fully grasp why the change is necessary. They may feel that the old way worked fine or that the new method seems more difficult. To unite your team, it’s crucial to clearly communicate why the change is important and how it benefits them. Focus on explaining the reasons behind the change and the potential risks of not adapting. Additionally, winning over the leaders of your organization and recognizing the informal leaders within the team is key, as leadership isn’t just about titles. Those who influence others can help bring the group on board.

Emphasize how these protocols protect employees and enhance the company's success by reducing downtime from accidents. Use relatable examples and real-life scenarios to demonstrate how a safe work environment contributes to overall productivity and well-being. This approach helps your team grasp that safety measures are not merely rules, but integral components that safeguard everyone’s health and support organizational success. By connecting safety to tangible benefits, you foster a more engaged and compliant workforce.

Folks tend to follow safety guidelines when they see it is for a purpose, whether avoiding broken bones, hurt eyes or hurt hands, not to mention possible death. Every safety meeting, stand down or communication should always state why the organization is implementing a new guideline or reinforcing an old guideline. Even stating the organizations benefit that we can be more competitive with a low TRIR is good information. State how safety is good top to bottom in an organization.

Create an active interest in safety by facilitating collaborative assessments and fact finding then allow them to identify the required changes based on the facts… Herbert William Heinrich circa 1933 And here we are… 2024 and still trying to dictate principled rules based safety in egoist and benevolent working climates. ??

Actively engage your team by forming safety committees or hosting brainstorming sessions to gather their input. When employees contribute to developing and implementing safety practices, they develop a sense of ownership and investment in the outcomes. This collaborative approach not only enhances the relevance and effectiveness of the procedures but also fosters greater acceptance and adherence. By valuing their contributions, you build a culture of shared responsibility and commitment to workplace safety.

When looking at implementing a new guideline or reinforcing old ones it is good to involve others who may be affected by the change. I always like asking “how do you feel about….” or “do you think this would help in ….”. I like including the folks in the planning and implementing, that way they buy in since the had input.

Training is integral to successfully getting safety moving forward. Training demonstrates that the organization and safety personnel care about our coworkers. If safety will spend time on rolling out guidelines training deserves the time to perform the rollout correctly, showing what needs to be done, getting input and following up with reviews of training for the program being implemented.

We implemented a safety procedure recently concerning an inspection step on an activity. One employee found 2 deficiencies in a week. We communicated who found the problems to all our employees giving praise for this person doing the job correctly. That recognition we gave that man was worth its weight in gold. All employees realized at that time we appreciate the effort and paying attention. Every time a person does something good on the safety arena we recognize what they did and why it is good. Recognition helps with buy in for safety and makes the employee feel appreciated.