Promoting Safety in the Light Industrial Workplace

As an employer, you probably already know the workplace safety stats from 2023:

• 2.6 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in the private sector.
• 395,300 incidents in private manufacturing alone.
• 5,190 workplace fatalities.
• 1.1 million cases involving missed workdays.
• Rate of 2.7 cases per 100 FTE workers. 
• Industries such as manufacturing and construction are among the highest incident-reporting sectors. (BLS, OSHA)

Furthermore, according to the National Safety Council, in 2022, workplace injuries cost employers $167.0 billion.

Workplace injuries and illness are a real issue, and workplace safety should be taken seriously.

Again, as an employer, you already know the importance of workplace safety, especially in a light industrial setting where various types of machinery and tools coexist with your people. However, the issue remains creating and promoting a culture of safety awareness in your whole team. Creating a safety awareness culture is a process that takes time and intentionality. It means bringing your entire company on board, especially your management, supervisors, and team leaders. It demands consistency.

Tips to promote a safety awareness culture in your workplace:

Provide Consistent Safety Training

Regular safety training must be a company standard.  Regular safety talks set clear expectations for your employees and prepare them to do their jobs with confidence and competence.

Include regular training on things such as:

• Proper use of tools and equipment
• Proper use of PPE
• Hazard training
• Correct emergency responses
• Health and wellness training

Don’t neglect your leadership team; provide separate and individualized leadership training to cast vision and bring everyone on board. Make sure your entire team maintains their certifications. Provide the appropriate cross-training so that everyone is sufficiently familiar with the workflow and potential hazards throughout the organization.

Provide Accountability 

Providing training without accountability would be like shooting yourself in the foot. Without accountability, it’s too easy to slip into complacency — a truth that rings true in most areas of life. However, accountability isn’t just about ensuring everyone follows the rules. It is also about providing visibility and structure that makes following protocol easy and helps keep everyone safe. Accountability training includes –

• Conducting daily tool and equipment inspections — with more detailed inspections on a weekly or monthly basis. This helps employees take responsibility for their tools and helps prevent potentially hazardous malfunctions or defects.
• Posting caution signs, hazard labels, compliance posters, and clear, directive signage. Visual communication is cheap and effective.
• Including employees in safety training development and allowing them to take ownership of safety awareness. Peer-to-peer training programs are often effective in creating a safety awareness culture.
• Keeping communication channels open and streamlining the reporting process. No employee should ever feel shamed or reprimanded for reporting safety concerns.
• Appointing safety officers to encourage, train, and maintain day-to-day safety.
• Creating a company handbook or manual that contains all safety policies, procedures, and protocols. Ensure it is always accessible to all employees.

Create a Safety Incentive Program

Reward and recognition are far more positive motivators than penalizations for bad safety behavior. Create and implement an incentive-based reward program that promotes safety in your workplace by individually and corporately recognizing good safety behavior. Set a common goal — perhaps so many days without an incident — to unite your team and give them something to work towards together. 

Partner with Occupational Physicians and Clinics

General health and wellness are pivotal to workplace safety. Partnering with occupational medicine and health professionals can provide you with tools to promote healthy living in your workplace. They can also help provide insight into incident prevention by identifying high-risk areas, teaching about proper ergonomics, and creating evaluative physical screening for candidates.

Set a Zero-Tolerance Policy

Hold a zero-tolerance policy for employees who arrive to work impaired by alcohol or other substances. Impairment is highly dangerous for your entire team and must be taken seriously.

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