In discussing workplace safety, traditionally we’ve been likely to speak in acronyms and numbers—listing off a company’s Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) or Lost Time Injuries (LTI). The tendency has been to leave safety management up to the safety leads on staff and drive change based on the measurement of things that we did not intend to happen. When an organization’s conversations about safety focus exclusively on results-based indicators though, something important gets lost: safety is about people.

While metrics certainly provide benefits as gauges of a safety program’s impact, most employees can’t explain how they’re calculated and don’t approach their day-to-day work with an eye toward recordable incidents. These measurements alone offer little in the way of employee engagement and ownership.

Instead, managing safety through people provides a better opportunity to measure performance and recognize success. Engaging and empowering the workforce, allowing for flexibility where it is needed and holding everyone accountable are the only methods sure to deliver consistent results. Ultimately, this approach will lead to a thriving organizational culture of safety excellence.

At Speedcast our safety program is made up of interconnected elements; but the only essential piece is our employees. The environment and culture in which these elements operate determines whether or not they work.

In safety trainings, for example, you often hear a question along the lines of, “When you arrive on site, what are you looking for?” While “hazards” may be the answer that inspectors are trained to provide, a savvy investigator recognizes that looking at and listening to the employees on site can be more informative. Unless we understand how people make decisions and judgments, how can we conclude whether something is hazardous?

Safety is not about things, but about how people form evaluations regarding these things. At Speedcast, we believe that everyone plays a role in providing a safe environment by taking appropriate actions and making the right decisions. We have adopted an “Accept Only Zero” philosophy that emphasizes our focus on eliminating workplace injuries and illnesses through engagement and accountability because when it comes to safety, zero incidents is the only acceptable goal.

Cultivating a culture of safety requires a common vision and the efforts of everyone in an organization. Valuing people and motivating their participation as the basis for this culture is key. Everyone must understand their roles as safety leaders, and feel free to implement these skills at any level.

 

At Speedcast we believe that a culture of safety is a means to empowerment, and any employee anywhere in the company can impact and improve the work environment. We aim to emphasize trust so that employees feel that they can be open and honest about any safety concerns, freely asking questions. By valuing our people and the vital role they play in safety, we cultivate their commitment and nurture a culture where all employees play an active role in their own safety and the safety of those around them.

Serious about safety?