For every company, employees’ health and general well-being should be one of the priorities. Without it, it’s impossible to achieve success because the good staff is one of the main pillars of every business. Companies in high-risk industries should pay special attention to workplace conditions and practices to keep people safe.
A good safety culture includes all practices, behaviors, and actions that should improve the safety of all employees. These should be represented at all levels equally, each contributing to its cultivation in the organization in its own way. And as much as the company is responsible for establishing safe workplaces and a good safety culture, the workers should also participate.
When workplace safety is at a high level, accidents are less likely to occur. This way, companies save valuable time and money, all employees are happy, and business runs smoothly. That’s why employers must understand the importance of a well-established safety culture.
Reduced Risk of Accidents
Accidents at workplaces happen every day. Some things that cause them, such as the elements or natural disasters, can’t be completely avoided. However, companies can take action and apply procedures that significantly reduce the risk of those calamities.
On the other hand, many accidents result from human negligence or mistakes, especially in high-risk industries such as metallurgy, chemicals, oil, and mining. They occur due to non-observance of regulations or security standards, accidentally or on purpose. In any case, when these mishaps happen, human lives, work processes, and the entire business are at risk.
A good safety culture helps to keep a safe and healthy work environment by managing the work process, that is, each of its phases. Also, it involves installing supervision and control systems to minimize the risk of accidents. Finally, it matters that all employees, from entry-level to top-management, understand, accept the importance, and contribute to workplace safety.
On the following page, find out how technologies contribute to better work conditions: https://readwrite.com/how-does-technology-improve-workplace-safety/
Prevent Profit Losses and Unnecessary Costs
In addition to the risks that workplace accidents carry for employees, we must mention how they can threaten companies. Employers not devoted to keeping their employees and work processes safe can face vast consequences resulting in profit losses, high costs, and reputational damage. Put everything together, and it’s clear that the future of any business is very uncertain.
A good safety culture primarily cuts the costs that companies would bear in case of, for example, workers’ injury or property damage. Although reputable organizations have appropriate insurance that should compensate for many losses, a significant amount of costs will go out of their pockets.
Besides direct costs, irresponsible employers will face a significant drop in productivity. Many hours of work will be lost when there’s a lack of staff. That can have far-reaching bad effects on the work processes. Good safety practices can prevent workplace accidents, profit losses, and other negative consequences for your business.
Employee Retention
In today’s competitive labor market, many companies face a major problem of workers’ absenteeism. When working in an unsafe environment, people can hurt themselves, so they go on sick leave. That can be a problem for both them and their employers, as they both lose money.
Plus, there’s a great chance that workers will want to quit their jobs because they don’t want to risk their own health and well-being. On this link, read about common reasons why people quit.
Not investing in safety and not spreading good practices throughout the company is a sure way to have a problem with employee retention. And when the word is spread about poor working conditions, irresponsible employers can also face another problem – they won’t be able to hire new workers. Nobody wants to work in bad conditions, right?
People want to work for employee-friendly companies. So, you have to establish a good safety culture and show your employees that you care about them. Also, you should include them in this practice through various trainings, meetings, and workshops so they really feel like part of the company. And when you’re on the same side, the retention rate will be high.
Better Work Quality
Good safety culture and involvement of all employees mean higher productivity, but also better work quality. When you motivate employees to show more pride in their jobs and remain loyal, they’ll put in extra effort and work harder. And when you give them a clean, safe workplace, you give them a boost to be even more productive.
It’s the right of every worker to be safe in the workplace. At the same time, it’s a great obligation of employers. They must invest in workplace safety and establish a good culture in that regard. It might take certain investments, but in the long run, it can bring a host of benefits to both employees and employers.
