Stale Safety Culture
Does your safety program feel stale? If you can relate to this, we want you to know that you are not alone! Your company might have set off on your safety journey and made some serious strides to achieving an outstanding safety program. After a few years though, that momentum tends to slow down. This can leave business owners and safety professionals at a loss for what to do next.
- How do we continue to get people involved in the safety program?
- What do we do when our safety program feels like stale bread?
- Is there anything we can do to “mix it up” when it comes to safety?
Be Proud of Your Progress
If your company’s safety program feels like stale bread, good for you! Some companies never get to this level where operating safely has become a habit, a culture. Your company has “bought-in” to safety and realizes a successful safety program is not about reaching a finish line but rather establishing procedures and systems that continually need to be refined. Your team is operating safely without always thinking about it, which is something to celebrate! Look at it from this perspective, if your company is only improving your safety program when it is a priority, you won’t achieve substantial results in the long term. An ongoing, consistent effort needs to be realized.
Safety is a journey; it doesn’t happen overnight!
However, a huge threat to reaching this level of a successful safety program is boredom and complacency. It is extremely common, possibly inevitable, but it is also easy to overcome.
Talk to Your Safety Committee
If you have a safety committee, plan to discuss the issue of safety complacency and what it looks like for your company. Brainstorming on a regular basis is essential to refining and improving your safety culture. At Lancaster Safety, we have a safety committee that meets on a monthly basis. We’re an OSHA approved VPP Star Mobile Worksite but even we have to work to keep things fresh. We’ll share a few ideas with you here:
- Rotate team members performing safety evaluations.
- Create a voluntary first responder team to help out in the event of an incident.
- Start an anonymous feedback form or in-person suggestion box where employees feel comfortable submitting suggestions.
- Stage a safety scavenger hunt to quiz employees on safety policies, the location of written programs, or what to do in an emergency.
- Assign team members a safety responsibility: checking PPE for wear, inspecting first aid kits, or performing ergonomics assessments. Administrative duties are just as important! These can include ordering new safety gear, contacting equipment manufacturers for safety information, highlighting important Safety Data Sheets content, etc.
Recommit to Safety Excellence
The first two tips on this list consist of benchmarking where you are at, and brainstorming how you can get better as a company. It might seem obvious to need to recommit to safety excellence, but this is an important step if you feel like your company has been operating on autopilot. Take your safety program off of autopilot and let’s fly!
Share Safety Positivity
Assessing the workplace for hazards is one of the foundational elements needed to keep employees safe on the job. While your team is spotting these potential safety infractions, look for safe practices as well and give recognition for it!
“Thanks for always wearing your PPE, it seems to be a habit for you all and that makes my job easier!”
“John spotted a safety hazard that could have been a real problem if he didn’t speak up. We commend him for this and thank him for saying something.”
“Accidents are never planned but by regularly completing your safety training, you’re helping to prevent injuries from occurring.”
Each month, Lancaster Safety sends an e-newsletter to our clients. It is full of OSHA news, webinar invitations, and safety inspiration. One of our favorite parts of the newsletter is a little section of safety inspiration. This is our chance to use creativity and bring our clients positive messaging each month. We want to share some quotes we’ve collected over the years with you!
Safety Quotes from Lancaster Safety:
Taking Safety Beyond the (OSHA) Standard! – Becky
Safety is not something you did once, it is something you do ongoing. – Emily
Everyone cares about safety until it costs time or money. – Nick
No matter how much work needs to be done, we are committed to working safely. Production is never so urgent that we can’t take the time to do it safely. – Jeff
The less money invested in safety the more money you end up paying. – Dylan
Putting safety first, helps to ensure that we all last.
Safety training is like a car, it requires regular maintenance. Let’s get in gear. – Aly
Investing in safety is similar to paying for car insurance. Most people don’t enjoy paying for it, but they sure are relieved if they need to use it! – Al
Work safely today, get home safely tonight.
Work with your team, to achieve our safety goals and dreams!
Topic Specific Safety Quotes:
Ergonomics: Sit, stand, or reach, practice proper ergonomics for each. – Cindy
Machine Guarding: It’s okay to have your guard up, your machine guard that is! – Aly
LOTO: A lock and key, can keep you accident free. – Becky
Housekeeping: To avoid a scene, keep your workplace clean! – Aly
Fall: Safety is something you can fall into!
Equipment Lifts: Safety can LIFT you to new heights!
Holiday & Seasonal Safety Quotes:
Don’t live in doom, let your safety culture bloom!
Don’t let safety hazards pour into puddles.
Red, white, and blue… safety starts with you!
Hocus, pocus, make safety your focus! – Cindy
As the leaves fall off the trees, fall into safety to avoid OSHA fees.
When it comes to safety, we don’t wobble around. – Sarge
Safe & sound will help the holidays go around. – Sarge
‘Tis the Season to be Safer. – Becky
Safety is not a chore, it’s a gift!
Safety Quote Internet Compilations:
“Tomorrow…Your Reward for Working Safely Today.” – Robert Pelton
Our #1 intention is accident prevention.
Accidents are never planned.
Stay alert, don’t get hurt.
Take responsibility for your safe work environment. Have the strength to do the right thing every time even when it seems easier not to.
Safety comes in a can: I can, You can, We can be safe.
A culture of safety is a journey, not a destination, it requires our continuing diligence.” – Terry J. Moulton
Safety might start with a “s” but it actually begins with you.
Make your resolution, a safety solution.
Safety can distinguish you and a lack of safety can extinguish you.
Safety isn’t expensive, it’s priceless.
No Safety, Know Pain… Know Safety, No Pain….
Don’t let summer be a bummer, think and drink…water that is!
Summer months mean more heat so stay on your feet and hydrate!
A spill, a slip, a hospital trip.
Safety is as Simple as ABC – Always Be Careful
Work safe today and everything will be okay!
Keep Up The Good Work
Managing the safety and health of employees in any industry, takes a lot of work! Between turnover, changes in the environment, new equipment, and keeping up with OSHA regulations, you have your hands full. Experienced safety professionals often lean on us to help achieve a complete safety program.
