Employee participation can increase Safety Performance. Studies show a significant positive correlation between safety performance and employee participation. Engaged employees were five times less likely to have an incident and seven times less likely to have a lost-time than non-engaged employees.
Engaged Vs Disengaged workforce
“Engaged employees" are the ones who are fully involved in, and enthusiastic about their work, and thus will act in a way that they share a common goal and contribute more strongly to their roles, teams, and workplace culture. Disengaged employees are less likely to work hard and meet expectations for their role, and they cause 60% of human errors and defects in work performance.
Signs of a Disengaged Employees
- Employees don’t report minor injuries or hazards „
- Low participation in safety committees and other safety-related meetings
- Lack of respect for the safety program feeling that management is not serious about it
- Employees regularly break the safety rules if they think they won’t get caught
- Disengaged workers feel safety professionals are viewed as “cops”
- Safety performance doesn’t improve despite adequate compliance, leadership commitment, training etc.
Misjudgments by Disengaged Workforce
- Employees feel that nobody asks for their opinion
- They feel that safety policy makes their job harder
- Employees feel disengaged that management is just waiting to catch them violating a safety rule
- They ignore safety saying that nothing can be changed for years but it’s finally changing because of an accident
- They complain that management violates the safety rules but wants them to follow
- They say that reporting a safety concern is no use, nobody did anything about it when a safety concern is reported two months ago „
- Disengaged employees complain that management just cares about productivity and wants them to work faster even if it is unsafe
- They misjudge saying that they have never been hurt working this way for 30 years and they don’t see the importance of safety
How Can Engagement be improved?
- Employee engagement is directly correlated with the level of involvement that employees have in their work processes and activities by Considering employee ideas,
- Ensuring good communication,
- Giving positive feedback and
- Respecting the employees and their ideas.
Considering Employee Ideas
- Actively seek safety suggestions and concerns from employees
- Address them in a timely manner and ensure resolution
- Always follow up with the employee
- Express your appreciation for their ideas
- Give them the credit
Ensuring Good Communication
- Communications must be clear and concise
- Address anticipated situations and possible exceptions
- Don’t leave room for assumptions
- Explain to employees why the safety rules are in place
- Even if you think the reason is obvious
- Don’t just refer to the standards or company policy; explain the hazard
Giving Positive Feedback
- Thank employees for safe work habits
- Behaviors that are followed by positive reinforcement will increase the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.
Respecting the employees and their ideas
- Respect employees’ ideas and concerns
- Don’t be afraid to tell an employee that their idea cannot be implemented- Give valid reasons
- Treat employees respectfully, even when they violate a safety rule
- Don’t be the “Safety Cop”
- Keep confidentiality when requested
Practical Ways to Involve Employees in Safety
- Discuss proposed workplace changes with affected employees before implementation
- Let employees sample PPE, hand tools, etc. before making a change
- Seek employee ideas when developing JHA’s, risk assessments, and solutions to hazards
- Encourage participation in safety meetings and emergency response teams
- Encourage employee suggestions and give recognition
- Invite employees to participate in incident investigations, workplace safety inspections, and behavior-based safety
- Hold regular shift huddle meetings and discuss safety; encourage employee comments
- Hold informal discussions with employees about safety
Employee involvement benefits everyone so that
- Workers feel a sense of pride and ownership
- Involved workers are more likely to comply
- Management gets the benefit of the employees’ extensive knowledge
Key elements of employee participation include
Set clear guidelines for employees– Employees must know their position and that for which the organization is striving.
Infuse a sense of ownership – Let employees know they are important and you trust them to do the job right every time.
Investing in employees’ future growth – Companies who invest in continued growth and development of their employees are more successful and retain staff longer.
Involving employees in the safety program – Conduct safety meetings and create safety committees to involve employees in the safety culture. Also include workers in changes before they occur to allow for open discussion.
Providing ongoing training for employees – When employees are not properly trained or training has lapsed, they are not being set up for success. It can put their own and others' safety at risk.
Facilitating two-way communication – Managers and supervisors need to be approachable and allow employees to voice their opinions, concerns, and ideas without fear of retaliation.
Recognizing employees – A simple thank you can go a long way when employees go above and beyond what is expected. Recognition helps to positively reinforce safe behavior and fosters engagement.
Gaining employee feedback for continuous improvement – There are always ways to change through improved workflow and processes. Engaging employee feedback helps come up with solutions by fostering creativity. Providing employees opportunities to offer feedback will further solidify engagement and safety efforts.
Conclusion
- Employee engagement can be a powerful tool to improve safety performance and other business measures
- Engaging and involving employees will benefit both the employees and business
- Get your employees involved and excited about safety
All phases of program design and implementation should be open to worker participation. Barriers to participation should be removed (such as language barriers), training programs for coworkers and new hires should be held regularly, and constant feedback should be shared with participating employees.
Building a safety culture within an organization is not something that happens suddenly, however. Many workplaces will slowly evolve through each of these phases as they implement new programs and realign their health and safety priorities. Without active participation by all members of an organization, a safety culture will not evolve and the safety management system will not reach its full potential.
No comments:
Post a Comment