How to effectively communicate safety, one of worker’s top concerns
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According to a 2021 SafetyCulture study, frontline workers who cannot work remotely rank safety as the second most important topic ahead of health/wellbeing. In today’s tight labor market, this is an important tip to employers for talent recruitment and retention.
Our January newsletter featured an article confirming that management’s commitment to workers’ safety should be as important as their workers’ productivity.
The second most important factor contributing to workers’ safety is effective communication that will motivate employees to act after receiving safety training.
Here are five principles and tips for employers to enhance safety communication:
- Don’t overload – share one topic at a time to ensure employees can absorb the information.
- Ensure clarity – be sure your workers are comprehending what you are communicating so they do not misunderstand or misinterpret the intended message.
- Clearly defined expectations – expressing what you expect to happen after training a worker helps reinforce follow through.
- Encourage interactive communication –break down barriers by actively listening to employees’ responses.
- Take workers’ concerns and priorities into account – differing priorities commonly leads to conflict, such as management having productivity as a priority vs. employees prioritizing safety. It’s important to clarify how these two priorities work in coordination instead of in conflict with each other.
Retail Services is committed to supporting your workers’ safety! Contact Rick Means, Director of Safety and Education at 360-200-6454 or rmeans@waretailservices.com