This article is contributed by Seattle blogger Tom Riecken.
We all have known someone who is caught in a loop, just grinding through the day to day. In an office setting, this may result in lost productivity, but on an active work site, serious injury or death may result.
There are a variety of ways to keep employees focused, alert and knowledgeable about their safety and the safety of those around them.
1. Promote Mindfulness
Set reminders to do inspections, put up posters that show proper techniques, and create checklists for heavy machinery. Finding ways to make employees pay attention and remain introspective will result in a higher focus on staying safe.
2. Encourage Communication
One person may forget to wear their safety gear, but a whole team looking out for each other will notice and find ways to assist. Give rewards to workgroups that keep safety terminology as part of their routine vocabulary.
3. Setup Ongoing Training
People are not perfect at remembering old information. Safety knowledge also can change over time. A combination of instructor-led training, eLearning, and knowledge testing will mean ongoing familiarity with key safety concepts.
All these methods come down to two themes: familiarity and concentration. Find ways to immerse employees in a safety culture with different types of media. Then reward and encourage behavior which keeps employees alert and aware.
