Involving Employees

April 13, 2006

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Poor housekeeping is a major contributor to low morale and sloppy work in general, even though it is not usually the cause of major accidents. Most safety action programs start with an intensive cleanup campaign in all areas of business to get the attention of the staff.

Get everyone involved and impress upon them exactly what it is that you want to do to make your workplace safer, more healthful, and more efficient. Consider a cleanup for the entire facility.

To start the cleanup:

get rid of rubbish that has collected
make sure that proper containers are provided
see that flammables are properly stored
make sure that exits are not blocked
if necessary, mark aisles and passageways
ensure the adequacy of lighting

You may be able to recycle some of your refuse. If possible, get money for it and use the proceeds to fund the safety committee's reward program.

Personal concern. At all times, demonstrate your personal concern for employee safety and health and the priority you place on them in your workplace. Your policy must be clearly set. Only you can show its importance through your own actions.

As the owner, your attitude toward job safety and health will be reflected by your employees' behavior. If you are not interested in preventing employee injury and illness, nobody else is likely to be.

Employee involvement. Demonstrate to your employees the depth of your commitment by involving them in planning and carrying out your efforts. If you seriously involve your employees in identifying and resolving safety and health problems, they are more likely to commit their insights and energy to achieve the goals and objectives of your program.

If you have at least a few employees, consider forming a safety committee. This can assist you in starting a program and will help maintain interest in the program once it is operating. Committees can be an excellent way of communicating safety and health information. If you have few employees, consider rotating them so that all can have an active part in the safety and health programming.

Here are some actions to take:

Post your own policy on the importance of worker safety and health next to the OSHA workplace poster where all employees can see it.
Hold meetings with all of your employees to communicate that policy to them and to discuss your objectives for safety and health for the rest of the year. If appropriate, consider an annual safety meeting to showcase activities and recognize achievement.
Make sure that you, and any managers or supervisors, follow all safety requirements that employees must follow, even if you are only in their area briefly. If, for instance, you require a hard hat, safety glasses, or safety shoes in an area, wear them yourself when you're in that area.
Use your employees' knowledge and help them buy into the program by having them make inspections, hold safety training, and help to investigate accidents.
Make clear assignments of responsibility for every part of the program that you develop and make certain that everyone understands them. The more people involved, the better.
Take time, at least annually, to review what you have accomplished against what you set as your objectives and decide if you need new objectives or program revisions to get where you want to be.