Safety communications are a sign of a healthy company – not a problem.
Recently a colleague told me that her management had been a little skittish about running a robust communications program around safety and compliance. They’d been worried that it was a demonstration that there was a problem in the business… “what would the Tiser write?”
A robust safety communications program is a clear message from the top that management recognises their roles and responsibility in creating a safe and open culture. It’s important to do the work up front, and set the tone from the top, because when you put in the hard work as soon as your safety system is implemented, it becomes the new way of doing things – and easier to maintain.
Here are five considerations for implementing a robust communications program around safety:
- Provide a copy of the safety program – and a summary of it – to all employees in the company, and to new employees as part of the induction. Have them acknowledge receipt of the document, and offer training or FAQ sessions for specific roles.
- Work with your communications teams to raise awareness and promote the values and code. Use internal newsletter, staff meetings – tell the stories of safety in action. Remember that the line manager has the most influence on an employee – use a cascade deck for each monthly meeting and audit for usage.
- Use creative methods and executions to remind staff of key messages.
- Ensure employees are aware of how they can ask questions about safety issues and report safety issues – and that you welcome preemptive reporting.
- Ensure all employees understand that safety issues are reviewed by your executive group, and that there are consequences for deliberately ignoring the safety rules.
Your internal communications team can support you to communicate clear messages via a range of creative channels, about how safety is just “the way we do things around here”. However if you require support to develop training and safety communications, Beaumont Solutions, we offer monthly visits to run toolbox meetings for all size businesses. These meetings ensure that businesses capture everything they need to. So, if you need help, don’t hesitate to call us. You can even ask for our free template!
