Safety within an organization is non-negotiable — it’s a must have piece. A fundamental right, an ethical imperative, and a financial concern. Safety is a foundational pillar for organizations, but safety is about much more than mitigating risk.
A successful safety culture provides opportunities for organizations to increase efficiency and boost employee productivity, which translates into profitable gains for the company as a whole. To get the most out of a safety program, though, an organization needs leadership to be onboard with safety, because success with safety starts at the top.
Lead By Example
Executive leadership sets the tone for the culture throughout the rest of an organization. Because no matter which crew hoists the sail, the captain ultimately controls the direction of the ship. If senior leadership adopts the position that safety is important, the rest of the organization will take their cues from leadership direction and determine that safety is a priority. This will, in turn, drive employees to be more mindful of day-to-day safety procedures, increase willingness to participate in safety trainings and workshops, and bolster employee attitudes toward becoming safety leaders to help champion safety themselves.
Safety as a Resource
Safety should have the largest buy-in from organizational leadership because it is centered on an organization’s greatest asset: the employees. Seeing leaders take safety seriously shows employees that their employer actually cares and values them at a personal level. But safety is also multi-functional.
Senior leadership is in a unique position by having the perspective to see the full scale benefit a culture of safety imparts throughout an organization. From their vantage point, they’re able to watch as safety lessens workplace injuries and onsite incidents — saving money and downtime — while also seeing increases in efficiency and accuracy of work as safety leaders optimize workflows. Additionally, by investing in a safety program — with safety trainings, workshops, and leadership development — employers are able to retain a higher degree of skilled employees, reducing expenses from costly turn-over and onboarding.
Seeing how a well-functioning safety program strengthens their organization, their product, and their employees, the executive leadership ends up having the greatest investment in safety program success. Being engaged with a culture of safety shows a greater dedication and commitment to all employees and to the organization as a whole, enticing employees to adopt the same attitude, paving the road forward toward success through safety management.
Optimum Safety Management provides the information and services to help companies develop safety leaders and improve overall safety performance. For more information on how Optimum Safety Management can assist with your businesses’ safety needs, contact an expert today, or reach out via phone at 630-759-9908
