Transform Your Organization by Understanding the Importance of Safety Culture

The commitment to safety from any organization begins with a total buy-in from the management team. This commitment should greatly exceed the basics of being OSHA compliant and hazard free.

Having a true safety culture involves the investment of time and money. It means productivity may be impacted when someone is hurt, because treatment, follow up and investigation of the cause of the incident will be involved every time.

The importance of safety culture permeates through to the bottom line and exudes through each employee's actions. Simply put, a workforce dedicated to safety are employees dedicated to completing their job the right way.

Continue reading to learn more about the importance of safety culture.

What Is Safety Culture?

Safety culture is the product of the group and individual attitudes, values, competencies, and patterns of behavior that determine the organization's commitment to safety. A shorter definition of safety culture is how everyone in your business acts when no one is looking.

Operating at one level or another, every organization has some type of safety culture. Leadership is continually faced with the following safety culture challenges:

Importance of Safety Culture

When your organization fearlessly understands the importance of safety culture, there are several benefits to be gained.

Safety Culture Bolsters Employee Morale

All companies envision motivated and happy employees. However, financial compensation alone will not achieve this goal. Having an effective safety culture that takes the well-being of your employees into consideration may help guide you toward bolstered employee morale and increase productivity.

When you understand the importance of safety culture, your employees will have the opportunity to actively engage in health and safety issues.

Innovation Is a Part of a Culture of Safety

​Whether it's in manufacturing, technology implementation, product design, or marketing, innovation is key to the success of your organization.

Innovation is the byproduct of when your employee's basic needs are taken care of. For instance, when your employees have a safe working environment, only then will they be able to think of new ways and new processes for completing tasks.

Understanding the importance of safety culture will set the stage for unique innovations, which can build your company's legacy.

Safety Culture Breeds Teamwork

Contrary to popular belief, developing a sound health and safety plan is anything but static. Instead, your safety program must be continually tweaked and modified as innovation develops and as the industry changes. This process requires a group of your people working together, which creates a unique sense of accomplishment that only comes from effective teamwork.

Employees Stay in Safe Environments

Today, the average employee will change their job every two to two and a half years. This type of employment turnover can significantly increase training costs, while decreasing production. However, you can improve employee retention by having an effective safety culture.

One of the leading causes of employee turnover is employee mistrust. The future of your organization thrives on making your employees believe the company treats them with respect and genuinely cares about their wellbeing. A safety culture can meet this need and help to actively engage your employees in their jobs, which is vital to retaining your top talent over longer periods of time.

Attract New Top Talent with a Culture of Safety

In today's highly competitive market, finding the most outstanding talent is becoming more and more difficult. This task is further complicated by the declining birthrate in the world's most developed nations. In either case, it's imperative your organization finds unique and effective ways to attract top talent.

In addition to compensation, today's employees are always looking for environments where they feel respected. When your organization understands the importance of safety culture, you can promote this inherent benefit to potential top talent. This will cause your business to stand out from the competition, who is also recruiting from the same talent pool.

Create a Culture of Safety with Premier Safety Partners

While every organization has some type of safety culture, not all cultures of safety are created equally. How your business values safety can help mold the attitudes, beliefs, and actions of all employees.

When you place the appropriate value on the importance of safety culture, it can result in:

In the end, understanding the importance of safety culture can completely transform your organization.

Contact Premier Safety Partners today to start the process.