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What is the best way to reduce accidents in the workplace? According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), developing a strong safety culture has the single greatest impact on accident reduction of any process. For this reason all companies will want to focus on creating a safety culture.
What is a safety culture?
In a strong safety culture, every employee feels responsible for safety. Employees are empowered to identify and correct safety issues as they arise. A "say it when you see it" philosophy is key to creating a safety culture. For instance, an apprentice would feel comfortable walking up to a foreman and reminding him or her to wear their safety glasses. This behavior is not only encouraged, it's rewarded in a safety culture.
How can a company instill a safety culture? There are four "E's" to a SMART Safety Culture. They are:
1. Establishing safety as a core value
2. Empowering safety at all levels
3. Elevating those who support a safety culture, eliminating those who don't
4. Embodying a commitment to safety in all actions
Each minute 50 workers are injured. Each day 17 workers die on the job. Each year 1/4 of corporate profits are lost on injuries.