June is National Safety Month!

The National Safety Council established National Safety Month in 1996 to bring attention to safety at work and at home. The first week in June is all about Safety Engagement. What does Safety Engagement mean to you?

As a Safety Professional with over 25 years experience, I have had a lot of opportunities to engage employers and employees in conversations about safety. On the jobsite and on the factory floor, it is important to have conversations about risks employees take and the consequences of those risks. The most important part of the conversation to me as a safety professional is to listen to the employees. Some employees may feel that they have to take certain risks in order to perform the job or in order to keep their job. Or, an employee may have a concern that is valid, but completely different from the one that I bring up. Sometimes there is a lack of understanding of the risks or how to mitigate them, which leads to coaching and training. Sometimes it is a lack of resources, or not having the right tool for the job, which leads to a conversation with the employer about providing employees the resources they need to stay safe. Often, the employee is performing a task in a specific way for a reason. Understanding that reason can help the safety professional and the employee to work together towards a safer environment.

In engaging employers about safety, it is important to understand the business needs and drivers. A hyper focus on production and cost can foster unsafe behaviors if the employer doesn’t understand the cost and productivity benefits of safety. Address the employer’s business concerns and present them with options that can help them achieve a safe workplace while also meeting their cost and productivity drivers. Employers may also not understand the requirements, which also leads to coaching and training, or they may not know what resources are available to help them succeed.

Whether engaging employers or employees, the most important part of the conversation is to listen to their needs and concerns and work with them to discover the best solution and prevent injuries and illnesses.