Sunday, July 22, 2018

Mandatory Questions For Safety Culture Assessments To Answer

By Daniel Hall


A safe working environment is healthier and more productive. It will also provide excellent return on investment because there are fewer disruptions and compensation claims. It is impossible to achieve absolute safety in any environment. This is why experts recommend continuous safety culture assessments. What are the parameters and expectations from such exercises?

Commitment of the management to keep the place safe comes first during assessment. The aim is to establish where personnel and control of safety is positioned in the organization. Is it at the top or bottom? Positioning determines how fast actions can be taken whenever an issue arises. It also indicates the priorities of organizations. If the environment and people do not feel safe, everything else will stall.

Communication protocol for the organization on safe environments and risks is also assessed. The safest organizations have a clear line of communication between the lowest and highest members. What information flows between employees and management and how does this information flow. Action on risks depends on this communication protocol. People need to feel free to communicate their concerns whenever they do not feel safe. It makes it easier to deal with the risks.

Who is involved in keeping the environment safe? A safe environment is the responsibility of everyone in the organization. People should therefore feel free and open to report incidences and vulnerabilities. The firm must also show action and response whenever an issue is raised. This means continuous improvement in order to avert a crisis. Everyone must feel responsible of keeping the work environment safe.

Training and information focuses on whether employees feel confident about the training they have received on safety in their environment. Do they know the dangers they are exposed to and the actions they can take in case danger strikes? What is the perception of employees and management towards continued training and availability of this information? Have safety measures been put in place to give confidence to everyone that he or she will be safe in case of a mishap?

What is the motivation for people in the organization to maintain a safe environment? People must not take action because the information is coming from an authority. Everyone must take responsibility and own the urge to maintain a safe environment. People will enjoy reporting to work and making the organization more productive.

What efforts have been made towards achieving compliance? The procedures in case of a mishap should be written down professionally. A lot of discipline must also be applied when fulfilling these requirements. These procedures should be standardized and understood by all. They must also be relevant to the risks that the people are exposed to. They must be reasonable in number and also actionable.

Is there evidence that the organization and its people are learning from previous mishaps? This is the best way to keep the place safe. Issues that were identified as the causes of previous disasters must be isolated and rectified. The aim is to consistently reduce damage. Assessment will be futile if there is no improvement over the years.




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