Don't want to feel like a safety cop? We've got your back.
Being a safety professional is a balancing act. Your primary role is to advocate for employees' safety and health and promote continuous development in occupational safety. But throughout your career, you'll be called to adopt the role of teacher, trainer, auditor, enforcer, and inspector.
With all of these hats to switch between, it's understandable that you may struggle to find opportunities to build relationships with your employees. Being responsible for enforcing OSH standards is a serious responsibility that can create some tension between those doing the work and those telling them how to do the work safely- and no one wants to be a safety cop.
But maintaining a strong, healthy rapport with employees is vital to the success of your health and safety efforts. As the face of safety, much of employees’ perceptions of and attitudes toward safety in the workplace depends on how they feel about you.
If you feel like your relationship with employees needs work, it might be time to reinvigorate your approach. Implementing positive reinforcement strategies into your interactions can help you build a productive relationship with the people you work hard to protect.
Here are three strategies you can implement today to begin to rewire your relationship with employees:
1. Identify their motivation. Knowing why something happens is essential to prevention. When you see someone doing something unsafe or breaking protocol, find out why.
Avoid being confrontational- approach them with the goal of gaining insight into their thought process. Encouraging their honest responses without jumping to conclusions builds trust with employees, helps you understand their work better, and gives you an opportunity to promote safety. You may even find a barrier to safety you need to resolve!
Tip: This doesn't need to be complicated! It can be as simple as saying, "Hey, I'm worried that (x behavior) could get you or someone else hurt. What could have made this task safer?" Or, "You really scared me when you... Is that the safest way to do that?". Oftentimes, employees will volunteer why they did what they did without any additional questioning.
2. Give them recognition. Research shows that when employees believe their work will be recognized, they are 2.7 times more likely to be highly engaged.
In your routine safety checks, why not make it a goal to find at least one employee to thank for their safe behavior? Build off of it as time passes, thanking different employees throughout the week for different safe behaviors. Make it a point to recognize the entire team for their contributions to a safe workplace regularly.
Tip: Keep it prompt, specific, and sincere. Something along the lines of: "Hey, I noticed you [insert specific behavior here; i.e. were wearing the proper PPE/asked for help/ stopped the job] today. Great job! I appreciate it; thank you!" is simple and effective.
3. Make it personal. Have conversations with employees that emphasize how they personally benefit from staying safe. Helping employees think about the personal benefit of safety is one of the best ways to generate buy-in.
Having this conversation at a time and place that promotes open discussion (not in the middle of the workday) is a great way to get to know your people better. Ask a team leader/supervisor if you can borrow a few minutes during one of their regular team meetings or at another time conducive to conversation.
Tip: Focus on their responses (and don't give up if they are hesitant at first!). Some of our favorite sample questions are: How would your life change if you were hurt on the job today? What does staying safe allow you to do? Does it help you keep up with your kids, enjoy a favorite hobby, or something else?
Being a safety and health officer is a rewarding career: you have the opportunity to help people protect their health and well-being both on and off the job. By implementing these tips, you can start forming lasting relationships that lay the foundation for a strong safety culture.
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