Safety Is NOT a Priority!

Did I get your attention?

A lot has been written about this concept of “safety culture.” But what is that exactly and does it really affect risk management?

What is Safety Culture?

Culture is typically defined as a group of people with shared beliefs, attitudes and practices. Organizations with effective safety programs have developed a true safety culture.

How Does Safety Culture Fit in Your Company?

While culture is a difficult concept to quantify, you can ask yourself these questions to determine where your organization stands:

• Does top management visibly support safety?
• Do you attempt to identify and correct hazards before they result in an injury to increase risk management efforts?
• Do all employees exhibit a working knowledge of health and safety requirements?
• Are employees empowered to make safety decisions and correct hazards?
• Are employees engaged in the safety program and providing feedback on what’s working and what isn’t?
• Do you commit enough resources to safety and do employees see this? Safety should be viewed as an investment and not a cost!
• Do you communicate safety goals company-wide?
• Do you recognize employees for “doing the right thing”? This doesn’t mean the traditional pizza party. Just a bit of acknowledgement from top management can go a long way. How about just a quick pat on the back and a “thank you” for wearing your Personal Protective Equipment?

Safety should be a company value, not a priority. Priorities tend to get moved around on the “to-do” list. Safety should not compete with other concerns. Because it is so important to risk management, make sure safety is integrated into your company’s core instead.

Click here to view for our webinar where I discuss tips for creating a safety of culture at your organization.

Need help making safety culture a company value? Contact the risk management experts at Cornerstone Insurance Group today!