The Interest of Safety Culture for Companies.
A strong safety culture enables a company to minimize occupational risks, protect its employees, and comply with safety standards and regulations. It also contributes to maintaining consistent productivity. Thus, it touches on the financial, strategic, and human aspects of an organization. Workplace safety has many stakes. In addition to avoiding production losses, it promotes the continuity of activities and reduces costs. Discover the importance of establishing a safety culture in a company.
Understanding Safety Culture
Definition and Principles of Safety Culture
Safety culture encompasses all beliefs, attitudes, values, and practices related to safety. They are shared by the actors of a company. Safety culture encompasses risk management, employee awareness of health and safety, and the promotion of a safe workplace. It is based on several principles:
- shared responsibility;
- management commitment;
- risk assessment;
- continuous training;
- compliance with current standards.
Different Levels of Maturity of Safety Culture
To evaluate the maturity of the safety culture, it is important to compare its functioning at all levels of an evolutionary scale (culture ladder):
The Pathological Stage
At this stage, employees do not care about health and safety. They prefer to ignore risks and think only of circumventing the rules. Moreover, bad news such as workplace accidents is normalized.
The Reactive Stage
The next culture ladder step is the reactive stage, in which safety is taken seriously by management but still considered a regulatory constraint by employees. Moreover, there is still a lack of awareness about safety. Dedicated meetings like the safety day are rare yet essential.
The Calculative Stage
At this level of maturity, companies implement an efficient management system and focus on statistics. Indeed, they collect and analyze several data. Moreover, they conduct audits to ensure better safety management.
The Proactive Stage
The last level of the scale is the proactive stage, in which all actors of the organization are involved in implementing the safety culture. Future workplace accidents are anticipated thanks to an effective action plan.
Foundations of Safety Culture
Safety culture is based on several elements:
Management Commitment
The management must fully commit to safety by setting specific objectives and providing employees with the resources they need (safety equipment, training, etc.). To demonstrate its involvement, management must frequently communicate clear messages about the importance of health and safety. It must also participate in safety initiatives (inspection, safety meetings, etc.) and have an appropriate response to incidents. For example, if an accident occurs in the workplace, it must take measures quickly so that it does not happen again in the future.
Employee Participation
Safety is the responsibility of every employee, regardless of their hierarchical level. Indeed, when employees are well informed, they are more likely to recognize the risks they face. Thus, they will understand the importance of safety practices. Moreover, they can propose innovative solutions to improve their working conditions. Note that open communication is essential within an organization, as everyone must feel free to express their ideas.
Risk Assessment
For better risk control, continuous evaluation must be in place. It is a crucial step in developing a solid safety culture. Risk assessment helps identify potential threats and dangers in a workplace. Moreover, it ensures regulatory compliance. With a better understanding of risks, it will be possible to design appropriate preventive measures.
Strategies for Establishing a Safety Culture
Information and Training, Keys to Prevention
Information and training play a key role in preventing safety in a company. On the one hand, information allows workers to understand the risks related to their work environment. On the other hand, training provides them with the necessary skills to follow established procedures.
Safety Management Systems
Safety management systems contribute to the safety culture in different ways. First, they establish clear standards and provide a structured framework for expected behaviors and practices. Then, they facilitate the identification and evaluation of risks, allowing the company to implement appropriate measures. Finally, safety management systems promote consistent communication about expectations and objectives regarding employee protection.
The Advantage of Safety Day in a Company
Implementing a safety day offers several advantages in a company:
- it strengthens awareness of the importance of safety;
- it improves employees' skills;
- it reduces risks by allowing them to be identified;
- it allows revising existing procedures;
- it contributes to the development of a safety culture by highlighting its importance and encouraging safe behaviors;
- it fosters team spirit by allowing employees to work together on safety-related aspects.
Benefits of a Strong Safety Culture
A strong safety culture offers some benefits for the company:
Impact on Company Performance
A well-established safety culture has a significant impact on company performance. Indeed, it reduces the number of accidents and work stoppages. Consequently, operational disruptions are limited, improving productivity. Moreover, risk prevention contributes to reducing costs related to health care and repairs of damaged equipment. It translates into savings for the company. Finally, a good safety culture enhances reputation and improves the company's brand image with its customers and partners.
Impact on Employee Health and Well-being
A good safety culture also has a positive impact on employee health and well-being, as in an environment where safety is an absolute priority, they will feel less stressed. Moreover, risk prevention promotes better mental health and improves the quality of life at work. Finally, safe practices play a role in preventing occupational diseases. This preserves the health of the entire team in the long term.
Importance of Taking Immediate Actions to Establish a Safety Culture
It is important to take immediate actions to protect employees from accident risks and to create a safe and healthy work environment. Moreover, they demonstrate management's commitment to employee well-being and allow safety to be included in the company culture. This will influence behaviors in the long term. To raise your teams' awareness of occupational risks, trust Immersive Factory to train them using virtual reality. We offer various innovative programs to provide them with an immersive and quality learning experience. With our support, you will develop a high-performance safety culture within your organization.
