Dedicated and passionate EHS (Environmental, Health, and Safety) leaders understand that even the most robust safety policies are ineffective unless there is a culture that promotes – and even celebrates – safety.
A workplace culture that treats safety as a shared commitment by every member of the organization, from top leadership on down, benefits both individual well-being and organizational success.
Read on to learn how you can establish and foster a culture of safety in your own workplace, and make sure to check out our podcast episode on Bridging Occupational Safety Across Border and podcast episode on Beyond Compliance: Building a Strong Safety Culture.
Key Takeaways
- Safety culture is built through leadership, employee engagement, communication, and continuous improvement.
- Organizations with strong safety cultures proactively identify hazards before incidents occur.
- Regular training, reporting, and safety surveys help measure and strengthen workplace safety culture.
- Building a culture of safety requires commitment from everyone, not just the EHS team.
- Psychological safety encourages employees to report concerns and near misses without fear.
What Is a Positive Safety Culture?
Positive safety culture is an organizational ethos that prioritizes the health and safety of its employees above all else. It is the foundation upon which safe work practices are built and sustained, embedding safety as a core value within the company’s operations and decision-making processes. The fundamental element that sets positive safety culture apart is the proactive nature of how companies address safety issues. It should also be flexible to evolve as risks and environments change.
Safety culture encompasses the shared values, attitudes, behaviors, and everyday decisions that influence how people think about safety at work. Rather than being limited to written procedures, safety culture shapes how employees identify hazards, communicate concerns, and respond to risks. When safety becomes part of daily decision-making, organizations are better equipped to prevent incidents before they occur.
By contrast, a negative safety culture is reactive, addressing safety issues only after they occur. This can lead to repeated incidents and an underreporting of hazards. In a setting like this, employees often feel disengaged and excluded, further exacerbating an unsafe environment and leading to higher accident rates and a disregard for safety procedures.
“I think we’re in a continual state of learning, and humans and the workplace are constantly evolving. As we change and evolve, the risks are changing and evolving too.” – Alizabeth Aramowicz Smith
To see how organizations are putting positive safety culture into action, explore Promoting Safe and Healthy Workplaces.
What Does Safety Culture Encompass?
A strong safety culture generally encompasses three interconnected elements:
1. People
Employee attitudes, behaviors, and shared responsibility for safety.
2. Processes
Policies, procedures, risk assessments, reporting systems, and training.
3. Leadership
Visible commitment, accountability, communication, and continuous improvement.
While different organizations may define safety culture differently, most successful programs combine engaged people, effective safety processes, and committed leadership.
Benefits of a Strong Safety Culture
A strong safety culture involves a collective commitment to safety at all levels, from top management to frontline employees. When safety is deeply embedded in the corporate culture, accident and injury rates are lower, employee morale is higher, and overall efficiencies improve.
- Lower accident and injury rates: One of the most immediate and tangible benefits of a strong safety culture is a reduction in workplace accidents and injuries. This is achieved by identifying and mitigating risks before they result in harm.
- Higher employee morale: When employees see that their safety is a top priority, their overall job satisfaction and engagement levels increase.
Improved brand reputation: Organizations with a strong safety culture are often perceived as responsible and trustworthy by customers, investors, and the general public. Companies known for their strong safety culture can position themselves as leaders in their industry.
- Increased efficiencies: A strong safety culture can also lead to significant improvements in operational efficiencies. When safety is a priority, processes are designed to minimize risks.
Developing and Maintaining a Positive Safety Culture
Creating and sustaining a positive safety culture requires concerted efforts across multiple areas of an organization. It starts with a firm commitment from top management and extends through to active participation by all employees.
The following elements are critical for successfully establishing a positive safety culture in your organization.
Top management demonstrates a commitment to safety
A positive safety culture begins with leadership. When leadership is sincerely committed to safety, it sets the tone for the entire organization. This commitment is evident through actions and decisions that prioritize safety above all else. This requires:
- Visibility: Leaders actively participate in safety meetings and initiatives, demonstrating their dedication to maintaining a safe workplace.
- Resources: Adequate resources, including funding for safety programs and investment in safety equipment, are allocated to support ongoing safety efforts.
- Policy: Safety is integrated into all aspects of organizational policy and strategic planning, making it a core component of the company’s operations.
Clear and effective safety policies and procedures are established
Safety policies and procedures form the foundation of a safe working environment. For these policies to provide effective guidance for safe behavior and operations, they must be clearly stated and readily accessible.
Steps to take when establishing safety policies:
1. Develop comprehensive policies that cover all aspects of workplace safety, including equipment usage, hazard identification, and emergency response protocols. A risk assessment is an excellent starting point for identifying concerns and establishing protocols, as well as an EHS culture survey.
2. Make safety policies easily accessible to all employees. Ensure that everyone is aware of and understands the guidelines through various communication channels such as postings, handbooks, and regular briefings.
3. Establish a process for regularly reviewing and updating safety policies to reflect new regulations, industry standards, and insights gained from past incidents.
Open and transparent communication regarding safety
Effective communication is vital for promptly identifying and addressing safety issues within an organization. Open and transparent communication ensures that all employees are aware of safety concerns and can actively contribute to finding solutions. This includes implementing easy-to-use and confidential reporting mechanisms for employees to report safety concerns, incidents, and near misses. Additionally, holding frequent safety meetings allows for discussions about ongoing safety issues, sharing updates, and gathering feedback from employees.
Workplace Culture EHS Surveys
Many employers are opting to use culture surveys to assess the current state of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) and employee well-being within their organizations to capture perceptions from employees and management. After deploying culture surveys and reviewing the results, employers gain a better understanding of where they need to focus their efforts to ensure optimal EHS and employee well-being in their organization.
Employee culture surveys can provide snapshots into employees’ and/or management’s perceptions of available resources at a company. A survey provides your c-suite the hard data on which to make decisions, demonstrating their dedication to their most valuable resource – their employees. Having the opportunity to provide honest feedback helps those employees trust their senior leadership.
The employees, in return for being heard, will be more cohesive in understanding their risks, and mindful of their ownership of their organization’s safety. The bolstering of confidence, performance, and communication can extend throughout a department, division, or company. This can continue to break down any proverbial silos amongst an organization and have the added benefit of beginning to reconnect workers and their management.
Additional benefits of employing culture surveys include boosting employee retention, improving organizational efficiency, and identifying potential biases.
Employees actively participate in regular safety training
Employee involvement is essential for a robust safety culture. Regular safety training ensures that all employees are knowledgeable about safety protocols and equipped to handle potential hazards.
These trainings should be regularly updated and tailored to address specific safety needs and emerging risks, ensuring that all employees, from new hires to seasoned veterans, take part in a unified approach to safety. Interactive training sessions that incorporate hands-on activities, simulations, and real-world scenarios are an excellent way to reinforce learning and offer employees the opportunity to ask questions.
Regular safety audits and inspections are conducted
To maintain a safe working environment, thorough safety audits and inspections should be conducted regularly. Scheduled audits can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of safety programs and pinpoint areas needing improvement. Routine inspections of facilities, equipment, and work practices can help detect and mitigate risks. When issues are identified, it is imperative to take prompt corrective actions to prevent future incidents and ensure compliance with internal and regulated safety standards.
While these best practices are an excellent framework, professional guidance can help you identify the tools and resources you need.
FAQs
What is a safety culture?
A safety culture is the shared values, behaviors, and practices that determine how safety is prioritized throughout an organization.
What does safety culture encompass?
A positive safety culture encompasses people, leadership, and safety processes that work together to identify hazards, reduce risks, and continuously improve workplace safety.
How do organizations develop a culture of safety?
Organizations develop a culture of safety by demonstrating leadership commitment, engaging employees, providing ongoing training, encouraging open communication, measuring performance, and continuously improving safety practices.
Why is safety culture important?
A strong safety culture helps reduce workplace injuries, improve employee engagement, strengthen compliance, increase operational efficiency, and build organizational resilience.
What are the characteristics of a positive safety culture?
Characteristics include:
- leadership commitment
- employee involvement
- open and transparent communication
- accountability
- continuous learning
- proactive hazard identification
- regular training
- continuous improvement
Who is responsible for workplace safety culture?
Everyone contributes to workplace safety culture. While leadership establishes expectations and provides resources, employees, supervisors, contractors, and managers all play an active role in creating a safe workplace.
How can you improve safety culture?
Organizations can improve safety culture by listening to employees, encouraging reporting, conducting safety surveys, investing in training, recognizing safe behaviors, and reviewing performance regularly.
What is the difference between safety culture and safety climate?
Safety culture reflects long-term values and behaviors within an organization, while safety climate measures employees’ current perceptions of safety at a specific point in time.
Discover how Inogen Alliance can support your organization in building a positive safety culture.
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The Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) is a technical coalition of leading global beverage companies working together to advance environmental sustainability within the beverage sector.
