It’s All About Safety
We hear it all the time: “Your safety is our number one concern.” Or how about the classic work place safety sign that depicts how many days since the last work place accident? While these examples may seem cliché, they are important messages that have withstood the test of time.
Whether a plumber, truck driver or banker, the employer’s most important resource is the employee. They get the work done and provide the product or service that brings revenue to the organization. If an employee is injured in a workplace accident, productivity, morality and, most importantly, the well being of the employee are all immediately impacted.
Many successful companies begin their board meetings with executive summary reviews of workplace safety as an effort to show that the top management believes in making safety a priority. By creating a culture of safety at all levels through a variety of messaging and actions, employees will learn to take a more active role in creating a safe work environment.
Every employee has a responsibility to assist in mitigating accidents, and the most successful employers have empowered their work force to call attention to any safety hazard without regard to how small the hazard or who is involved. Workers know that if they witness a hazardous condition and chose not to do anything, they actually will be looked upon as a concurrent cause of any related accident, which again creates a culture of accountability.
These are all subtle but important steps for employers to consider in the development of a workplace safety culture. Whether signage, senior management agendas or peer supervision, they all create a priority for safety that over time makes a difference!
CBIA encourages members to visit the Cal OSHA website as a consultative resource www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/consultation as well as our association partner Courage Safety - www.couragesafety.com.
