Why Do Employees Ignore Workplace Safety?
As an employer, you have a duty of care to ensure all of your employees and visitors are in a safe environment so it’s vital that you understand potential hazards in order to mitigate any risk to their wellbeing. However, as management, it can be frustrating if you put procedures in place then realise they are not being followed correctly. Understanding why employees may sometimes ignore workplace safety can help you reassess how you communicate the importance to them.
3 Common Reasons Employees Ignore Workplace Safety & How You Can Promote Workplace Safety
It’s not part of the workplace culture
Putting safety measures in place isn’t a ‘one and done’ job. Ensuring consistent reviews and daily hazard checks become part of your company’s communication and operations strategy will show employees how serious you are about their safety and the safety of others. If the message is not reinforced and encouraged throughout long term staffing and culture, new employees will soon follow suit. This can also occur if you are not quick enough to react to potentially hazardous situations and employees are left feeling that the company does not care for them. Make workplace safety a priority from the top down to set a good example for staff. Quickly react to the incident with Avery Industrial Labels that can be printed in an instant to urgently alert of potential dangers or hazards.
Thinking The Safe Methods Take Longer
With increasing pressure on efficiency and productivity for staff, they may feel it’s more important to get things done quickly than to follow processes and that the extra safety precautions are slowing them down. Aside from the obvious dangers of injuries, not following safety instructions can have serious business implications also as incidents can slow operations and can result in loss of hours and money. Addressing this will mean reviewing staffs workload - are the time restraints leading to shortcuts and what ways can you help mitigate this? Communicate positively with staff so they are aware of their safety responsibilities. Appointing a staff member responsible for health and safety in the workplace can help put an emphasis on its importance to staff and give them a person to discuss it with and report to.
They Don’t Know The Processes
Another common reason for staff not to follow the processes is that they simply don’t know them and you can’t practice what you don’t know. It is dangerous to assume that employees will always remember what they have been taught, especially if they have been in the role for a long time. Make regular workplace safety training sessions a priority to ensure staff are given the opportunity to refresh skills and have a forum to discuss their requirements. Additionally, new employees should be given thorough training around the safety practices of the business. New employees should be given basic orientation on safety practices your business follows in daily operations. Place safety policies in easily accessible areas.