New Hires Need Safety - Part 6/6 – Iterate on Safety

Over this six-part series we have highlighted that new hires are the most at risk so the key takeaways have been:

1.      OVER-COMMUNICATE

2.      Implement an EFFECTIVE Safety Training Program

3.      Technology is A tool

4.      Implementing Technology right isn’t easy  

5.      Focus on YOUR Safety Culture and

6.      Iterate, monitor and IMPROVE

What you don’t measure you don’t manage is a saying that should help you stay focused on methods for tracking Safety Performance:

Conduct Regular Safety Audits and Inspections: CHECK - Evaluate safety practices through regular walkthroughs, scheduled inspections, and third-party audits

Gather Feedback from Employees: LEARN - Use surveys, suggestion boxes, and direct feedback to understand employees' safety concerns and suggestions

Adapting and Improving Safety Protocols: ITERATE - Make changes based on new information, hazards, technology, and regulations to enhance overall safety

Continuous Data Collection and Reporting: DATA - Collect and report data on the company's safety performance to identify new risks and areas for improvement

Iterate: Understand your data, your company and your risks.  Practice, plan, review and update.  Keep it simple, repeat it often.

Compiling your data shows everyone your picture!  Data management is made easy with even the simplest software.

Conclusion:  Safety is no accident.  Maybe the biggest overall takeaway is a simple statement “a safety program is cheap insurance”. The HOW TO is also straight forward and something you should be proud of: communicate, train, use appropriate technology, build YOUR safety culture, monitor-Iterate-improve.  As a leader just ask yourself a few questions: “Do you know a lot about safety in your company”, “are you proud of it”, and “could you look someone in the eye and tell them you did what you could do”?  It takes leadership to keep new hires, even the ones that have worked for you for a LONG time, safe!