The National Safety Council reports that every seven seconds a worker is injured on the job. Experts agree the best way to avoid that possibility is for organizations to maintain a strong safety culture.

A mindset for safety coming from the top down can be the key difference in ensuring safety measures are met on a daily basis. In essence, the safety culture can be an element tied to the overall mission and values of the organization.  Shared beliefs and actions should be incorporated into every layer of the organization.

While it may take time to blend the information into your system, protecting the benefits of clients is the ultimate goal. Keeping safety information at the forefront and building that safety culture, reduces the fear of reporting an issue. In turn, the problem can be addressed and potentially help save money in the long run, avoiding an expensive fix and/or lawsuits if the situation was allowed to progress.

Just because a company complies with OSHA standards and maintains a low injury rate does not necessarily mean it is excellent at safety. How often is safety addressed at your organization? To be successful, include safety discussions regularly into monthly and weekly meetings at every level.

Managers need to be visibly supportive in their actions and continuously provide coaching or discipline on how to maintain safe work habits to gain employee involvement. Curb negative messaging and engage with employees—simple comments on how to do something can go a long way when coming from senior leadership. Having middle management continue to back up those same principles creates a safety culture that is genuinely passed down through the organization.

Often, perception becomes reality. With safety as a core value, it helps all levels of an organization perceive that safety is important. It is not only about educating employees on how to lift properly—it is about starting with the right questions—who may be delivering those goods; are they reputable for safety? How much is being shipped in one box—can we distribute the weight?  Is the dock safe and who will be responsible for distributing?

Respecting safe work habits is a core element of a culture that works. When employees take part in the ownership of that practice, accountability can be achieved at all levels. To learn more, check out the free webinar, "Protect Your Ministry: Develop a Healthy Safety Culture."