STRONG SAFETY CULTURE
©stock.adobe.com/au/Budimir Jevtic
ITS IMPORTANCE DURING THE PANDEMIC
A strong safety culture is a key goal for any organisation, because every worker in Australia should always work safe. But with regulations increasingly putting more responsibility on the individual worker and additional pressures being brought on by the pandemic, how can safety professionals and workplaces ensure that safety is kept front of mind?
A
strong safety culture can be defined as that which upholds an unwavering commitment to safety. Team members on all levels show unrelenting focus on creating and maintaining a safe workplace and this commitment is evident in the beliefs, values and attitudes of both the organisation and its people. You’ll know you have a strong safety culture when employees do what they need to do to keep themselves and others safe without thinking. It takes time and continued focus to build this type of culture, and relies on a collaborative effort between employee and employer. A few key fundamentals include: • a commitment from leadership to making safety a priority;
16 SAFETY SOLUTIONS - NOVEMBER 2021
• clearly defined safety responsibilities for each level within your organisation, including policies, goals and objectives; • good two-way communication on all levels of the organisation; • providing ongoing training and support for all team members; • continuous monitoring and tracking of progress; • preventing incidents by analysing the working environment and hazards, and uncovering trends. Management teams need to lead by example and set the bar high. Involving groundlevel teams will help build commitment to the process and any changes. It may also provide greater insight into which control measures may be most effective. Often workers will
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