Enhance Workplace Safety Through Safety Performance Improvement

Importance

Improving the company’s safety performance has profound implications for the organization and, more importantly, its workforce:

• Upholds employee safety – Regular safety surveillance and evaluation enables the company to reduce the risk of accidents, injuries, and occupational illnesses. Protecting workers from hazards also reduces costs related to medical expenses, compensation claims, and regulatory fines.
• Improves operational productivity – When workers aren’t worried about getting hurt at work, they focus better on their responsibilities and contribute to the company. There will also be fewer disruptions from absenteeism, sudden injuries, and equipment damage.
• Ensures regulatory compliance – Ensuring a safe work environment and figuring out ways to maintain it through evolving business and technological landscapes are mandated by the government. Showing a commitment to improving safety culture also helps companies get a competitive advantage, attracting potential partners, talents, and clients.

Elements

Organizations can successfully foster a culture of safety where near-misses and safety incidents are prevented or effectively managed by understanding the building blocks of safety performance. These elements are the following:

• Assessment and Analysis – Relevant personnel should evaluate safety practices through regular walkthroughs, scheduled inspections, and third-party audits.
• Training and Education – Delivering targeted safety training helps workers understand new protocols, follow best practices, and become more aware of their surroundings.
• Safety Measures – Making control changes based on new hazards, technology, and regulations is critical in enhancing overall safety.
• Monitoring and Reporting – Continuous data collection and reporting of the company’s safety performance aids in identifying new risks.
• Engagement and Communication – Fostering a culture of safety and responsibility requires open communication and involvement from all employees.
• Continuous Improvement – Perhaps the most critical element of this initiative is regularly reviewing and updating the strategies based on feedback, new technologies, and industry best practices.

How to Improve Safety Performance

Improving the company’s safety performance is a continuous journey. Every step taken, from identifying new hazards to adjusting controls, contributes to a safer workplace. Here is a step-by-step guide Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) managers can follow:

Step 1: Define KPIs for goal-setting.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) provide a measurable framework for assessing the company’s safety management system or individual safety initiatives. Doing this helps create new objectives aligned with the organization’s overarching goals and strategies.

• Include leading (preventive measures) and lagging (incident rates) indicators to gain a comprehensive understanding of safety performance.
• Compare internal KPIs with industry standards.

Step 2: Conduct safety assessments.

Regular assessments help identify potential hazards before they cause accidents. The results of these ongoing workplace checks provide a basis for continuous improvement.

• Do daily or weekly walkthroughs to spot equipment defects, problematic behavior, and probable risks.
• Use detailed checklists to ensure that all aspects of workplace safety are covered.
• Hire external consultants for safety audits to gain an unbiased assessment.

Step 3: Implement safety controls.

Effective measures involve making changes or adjustments to processes, equipment, and workplace conditions. These reduce the likelihood of accidents and create a safe work environment.

• Review policies and procedures and see which needs changing based on the assessment conducted.
• Invest in engineering controls, if necessary.
• Provide additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) if the identified hazard can’t be eradicated. Make sure that workers know how to use and maintain them.

Step 4: Engage the workforce.

Every single employee should be committed to improving the company’s safety performance. This will only happen through the following:

• Provide comprehensive safety training to employees, especially when there are changes to internal policies.
• Encourage employees to report safety concerns and recommendations, since they are on the frontlines.

Step 5: Monitor workplace safety consistently.

Continuous monitoring enables EHS personnel to quickly address emerging risks. By being proactive, the organization can maintain a high standard of safety.

• Install Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring and surveilling devices in and around the facility that alert EHS managers about deviations and crossed thresholds.
• Hold regular safety meetings with staff to ensure everyone is on the same page about the modifications.

Step 6: Sustain improvements and be ready to adapt again.

Because conditions in the workplace and the business landscape are constantly changing, solutions developed yesterday may not be effective tomorrow.

Organizations need to understand that safety performance improvement is a cyclical process. Systematically following the steps detailed here helps companies become more adaptable to unexpected hazards and emerging risks.

Challenges in Safety Performance Improvement

Improving workplace safety is a complex endeavor. Recognizing these possible obstacles is crucial in overcoming them. Here are some of the most common challenges and the best way to address them:

• Worker complacency – A strong safety culture relies on complete employee buy-in. Engagement through robust training, open communication, and fair incentivization will help minimize this problem.
• Rapidly changing workplace – Change is constant so there’s no reason for companies to be caught unaware. Stay updated on new technology, emerging risks, and amended regulations to prevent being in a vulnerable position.
• Measuring and demonstrating Return on Investment (ROI) – It can be difficult to quantify the safety initiative’s ROI, consequently making it challenging to secure continued support. Utilizing robust reporting and analytics is the best solution for this problem.