The Million Dollar Question – How to get your Employees to Follow Safety Procedures & Rules?
You know that safety plays a crucial role in your workplace, but do your employees understand its value? How can you motivate them and get them on board?
Ok, you’ve dedicated plenty of time and resources to build the most comprehensive safety program on the block. You’ve trained supervisors, recruited safety managers to ensure that safety doesn’t take a backseat at your workplace.
Even after all this, are you seeing a visible disconnect between your safety goals and the attitudes of employees in the workplace? If yes, then it’s time to reevaluate the motivational procedures, you use to get your employees to follow the safety rules and regulations at work.
Here are a few best practices to get your employees on board.
Top 5 Motivational Strategies to make Employees follow Workplace Safety Rules:
- Entwine Workplace Safety with the Cultural Fabric of your Organization
Right from the minute, a prospective employee walks into the door of your organization; they should understand that safety is one of the most important values of your business. You can do this by including safety training right along with the on-boarding process, as well as ensuring that you follow up on the training protocols during the workday.
For instance, you can motivate employees to follow safety rules by having a daily safety topic discussion or weekly safety debates, etc. at the workplace.
- Successful Safety begins with the Leadership Teams
To get your employees interested in safety programs (and all other programs), you need to get the support of your leadership teams. When leaders set positive examples, they improve the chances of getting the rest of the crew onboard.
Apart from being good practitioners of safety, team leaders, managers, and other supervisors should provide employees with consistent feedback on adherence to safety. Leaders should take the time to observe each employee and provide customized and situation-specific feedback for the maximum impact.
Also, if a team manager comes across an employee who is not following safety procedures, he/she shouldn’t stop with reprimanding the employee. Instead, he/she should take the time to educate employees about the why’s and how’s of safety rules.
- Positive Reinforcement always Works Better than Punishments
Behavioral scientists state that positive reinforcement helps a person to repeat a positive, rewarding action again and again. When it comes to implementing safety procedures, it should go hand-in-hand with positive reinforcement. This can be something as simple as recognizing an “Employee of the Week” or more long-term like bonus, rewards, positive appraisals, etc.
Employees often agree that job satisfaction increases when they are appreciated by the management for making a positive contribution to the team.
With that said, leaders must make it a point not to ignore safety mishaps however minor it seems. A recent study in “Safety Science” states that only when employees have a supportive environment that nurtures their participation in safety programs increases. While leaders should be diligent in addressing safety errors, they shouldn’t come off as accusatory.
- Employees should take pride in the Safety Process
Employees are likely to follow safety procedures when they are involved in the process right from the beginning. They should play an active role in the program and not just be passive instruction recipients. The first step in getting this done is by reminding employees of the impacts of safety on the workplace, not only on themselves but also on their fellow workers.
Additionally, employees should feel encouraged to provide feedback about the program via multiple channels.
- Refine your Safety Program based on Employee Feedback
When you come across constructive feedback from employees on safety protocols, you must be willing to make changes based on that feedback. When you come across a positive idea, take action promptly, and ensure that the employee who suggested it is appreciated.
Similarly, if several of your employees are dissatisfied with a particular aspect of your safety program, you should figure out ways to alter and improve on it. When employees feel that management is genuinely listening to their concerns and taking the right actions, they are further motivated to comply with the safety rules and regulations.
The Final Word
For any safety program to work, your employees must be committed to it and follow it day-in and day-out. By making safety a crucial element of your business, you ensure that your employees follow it. Use these strategies to create a safety conscious workforce and achieve your business goals and objectives.
For any help on implementing safety principles at work, providing training to your employees and motivating them to follow safety techniques, reach out to us by clicking here. Our expert team of safety experts, here at Totalika, India’s leading workplace safety expert, will ensure that you’re on the right track to safety.
