Build loyalty into your safety program

ff,/HeN you rHINK about loyalty, an image of frequent Y Y flyer miles or Starbucks Rewards likely comes to mind. Tire reason why is that these companies have built significant following for their brands by consistently delivering on their promises, and doing a great job of letting people know about their rewards.

As an employer, building loyalty in your safety program can be a real challenge. Here are five key initiatives you can take to gain significant buy-in for your programs:

Provide Glear Direction

Even the most intuitive employee can find new safety programs difficult to understand, let alone follow. By clearly outlining the details of your safety program, you will give workers a benchmark on which to base their actions, thereby making it significantly easy to follow. Your program outline should include:

Long-term & short-term goals

. Rules & procedures

. Rewards & reprimands

Key contact for the program

Reward Safe Actions

A successful safety program will include some level of rewards for compliance. Even something as simple as public recognition of a worker's efforts in the company newsletter is enough to motivate them to care about the program. Of course, the more significant the rewards offered, the more effective the program might be. However, you should be cautious of making the rewards too big or they'll eclipse the long-term safety improvement objectives your company is trying to achieve.

Show Your Gommitment

A short-term program does nothing to change the attitudes and behaviors of your staff. Show that your company is in it for the long haul by making long-term objectives and a holistic game plan that transcends the calendar. The program itself should exist year over year, with procedures in place to make continuous and regular improvements. A great way to show your commitment is to have an effective communication program.

Spread the Word

Speaking of communication, this is extremely important to a successful safety program. Not to be confused with "provide clear direction," spreading the word about your safety program should involve sharing the results gained from companywide buy-in. The more workers see the benefit of their actibns the more they will want to contribute.

Easy ways to communicate are company newsletters, personal emails, announcements at team meetings, and even something as simple as word of mouth among the workforce.

Be Safe

It's not enough to pay lip service to safety. If your company is not making improvements even though you're taking part in all of the above, you may need to rethink your strategy. Otherwise, workers will catch on and will no longer find value in the program in any way. To really build loyalty from your staff, workers need to genuinely feel that your workplace is a safe place to work. Take every step you can to ensure that your company has the tools, equipment, and procedures it needs to be a safer company and worker loyalty will build.

Typically, companies that experience measurable retums on their safety records commit completely to making improvements from the head office all the way to the front lines. Employees must be fully informed and empowered to make decisions to improve the level of safety in the organization in order for their programs to succeed.