The very popular saying “better safe than sorry” is totally applicable to occupational health and safety. It is critical that the employees be made aware of OHS prevention as well as safe work practices. The arrival of fall is a good timing to conduct an internal prevention awareness campaign, it will set the workers back on the right path to a successful OHS minding. Therefore, we have put together the following article to help you to promote health and safety in your workplace.
1. CREATE AN OHS CULTURE
You need the employees to know that safety is integrated in their work, therefore it is essential to define and highlight safety in the company values. The leaders of the company must be involved in the OHS campaigns. Displaying the work methods will not be enough. You will need to carry out visible daily actions and to underscore the implication of the key stakeholders.
2. WORK WITH RELIABLE MANAGERS
To be able to establish solid preventive actions, it is very important that the OHS manager draws trust and liability. He shall demonstrate leadership and be convinced and convincing with and by his actions. He will be the team’s resource/reference. So if the OHS manager does not present these qualities, it is likely that the goal of the preventions activities might not be reached. It would be acceptable, for these campaigns, to identify a different leader in the organization.
3. MOTIVATE THE EMPLOYEES TO CARRY OUT PREVENTION
Employees who are sensitized must necessarily be motivated. You must demonstrate the benefits of their participation in the actions you have decided to carry out. It is as simple as completing their tasks easily and safely. A reward mechanism to congratulate the good deeds is a good way to raise the team’s motivation.
4. SHARE ALL OF THE INFORMATION
It is important to share the information regarding the different OHS campaigns to keep the employees involved in the process. They must be able to acquire new knowledge from the disclosed information. Include relevant training in your action plan in order to mobilize and support the interest and understanding of the workers. A knowledgeable employee is a competent employee who will be satisfied with his performance.
5. TAKE ACTION
While it is essential to write down and discuss of all the actions that we wish to undertake, it is also mandatory to implement these actions. The best way is to prepare a precise timetable and to stick to it. Take time to inform the stakeholders of their involvement in the project and clearly define their roles and responsibilities. Conduct monthly meetings to brief the teams about the targets and the advancement.
The obvious key to success is to practice exemplary management and monitor daily. Set aside time in your schedule to fully assess the impact of your actions. For this type of mandate, there are several different management software that can help you. Maerix offers solutions Smaat to manage all the aspects of health, safety and the environment. Maerix offers Jobarix, the software that allows you to perform preventive analysis (risk assessment). With this solution, you can evaluate the risks and identify the hazards to then be able to develop effective control measures.
Start establishing your OSH process and procedures today to prevent many future accidents, even fatal ones. It is important to consider your health and safety expenses as long term investments.
Do not hesitate to contact us for more information, it will be a pleasure to answer your questions.
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