In many companies, safety issues take a back seat to concerns about profit and production. Of course, employers have to focus on getting the job done, serving the customers and making their company financially viable. This, unfortunately, sometimes leads workplace safety to unintentionally become an afterthought.
When employers or employees are willing to overlook safety problems or bypass safeguards, they are putting everyone who comes into their workplace at risk.
The safety specialists at TSS, know that a strong safety culture is critical for the long-term health and success of any company. This starts with sharing the message that workplace safety is important and that everyone in the company – from the CEO to the cleaning crew – needs to be committed to following safety protocols and procedures.
A recent article by the American Society of Safety Professionals reminds employers why a strong safety culture is a key to protecting workers, the public and the bottom line. Here are the five reasons listed in the ASSP article:
1.Business is about connections and relationships. Research shows that when employees feel safe in the workplace and feel encouraged to come forward when they notice safety lapses, it is better for your business in the long run. Companies where employees don’t feel safe or cared about, tend to have lower morale and more neglect of duties, and sometimes even higher rates of substance use as employees cope with these negative feelings.
2. Having safety management systems in place is good for your business. These help establish accountability for safety and health performance throughout the organization, ensuring that good safety standards are maintained.
3. A strong safety culture translates into a willingness to invest in safety. A business that is willing to take a big picture approach to safety and appropriately fund its safety program, rather than choosing less costly band-aid solutions, can address many kinds of risk.
4. Safety affects the bottom line. Reducing costly worker injuries, illnesses and incidents, improving worker well-being, increasing operational efficiency, avoiding OSHA penalties result in significant cost savings. Just take a look at OSHA’s $afety Pays form to estimate the impact of an unsafe workplace on a company’s profitability.
5. Safety culture helps attract and retain top talent. People rather work in a safe environment where they know their employers and supervisors care about their wellbeing.
Let TSS help you support a strong safety culture. We can work with you on developing the safety policies and processes that are appropriate for your workplace. Contact us at info@tss-safety to set up a time to talk.
Photo by KZENON