3 Ways to Improve Workplace Safety During a Pandemic
No one would deny that safety in the workplace is critically important, even more so now that the COVID-19 pandemic has become an extensive and challenging problem facing businesses. When it comes to workplace safety, your employees are a powerful tool for prevention, and their safety perceptions are crucial to achieving excellent safety behavior. Organization and business leaders need to help manage these safety perceptions to help employees and customers understand their role in social distancing behaviors and PPE use. Improve workplace safety during a pandemic now by following these 3 tips.
Sharing Data
Many misconceptions about workplace safety begin from a lack of information. Understanding by employees plays a vital role in the adoption of workplace safety behaviors. Perceptions of workplace safety can be managed, and organizations that can target desired perceptions while driving out harmful misconceptions will have much more successful safety cultures. Workplace safety during a pandemic can be managed by sharing pertinent information, and the more constant and effective the flow of information from management, the fewer the misconceptions among employees.
Employees often have different risk perceptions towards safety behaviors based on their various backgrounds. That is one reason information plays such an important role in the embracement of workplace safety. Understanding specific workplace safety procedures impacts an employee’s social distancing behaviors and proper use of PPE supplies. Health and safety signage clearly communicate the measures your business is taking to keep employees and customers safe, as well as what behaviors are expected at your place of business. You can hang your signs in entrances, restrooms, breakrooms, and anywhere else where you need to share health and safety information.
Managing employee safety perceptions is crucial to achieving excellent safety performance. To instill a sustainable safety culture, managers and leaders must share applicable information to overcome any harmful perceptions that are causing unsafe behaviors.
Safety is a Team Effort
Businesses that want to improve workplace safety can start by targeting desired perceptions, including the perception that safety is a team effort, and we can all help. Employees are often motivated to look out for themselves, but workplace safety is a team challenge. Workers need to cooperate and collaborate to achieve the full benefits. Social distancing, frequent handwashing, and face masks are most effective when employees and customers are all on the same page.
Health and safety signs can indicate how to wash your hands, remind employees to wear masks, and communicate any other precautions your business takes. Floor decals are a visual reminder to encourage social distancing and indicate traffic flow. Once everyone understands the expected safety behaviors, business leaders can provide positive reinforcement to encourage desired behaviors.
If managers keep emphasizing these new safety behaviors, the mind-sets of employees will shift accordingly. As more employees comply with the changes, a sense of teamwork can emerge, bringing even more employees on board and multiplying the effectiveness of your safety efforts. It is also a culture-builder, making these changes sustainable for a longer period of time.
Model Safe Workplace Behavior
Employees learn things they see or experience in a hands-on way, and they also take cues from behaviors displayed by business leaders. Modeling safety behaviors by managers and supervisors demonstrates to employees the workplace safety behaviors expected at your place of business. Take the time to not only sit down and explain the safety measures your business is implementing but model those behaviors, from mask-wearing and social distancing to frequent hand washing and sanitizing.
Leaders who believe in workplace safety have the capacity to influence employee behavior and shape the overall safety culture. From being early to work to staying late and even taking reasonable breaks, employees frequently model their leaders’ behavior. The same rules apply to workplace safety during a pandemic. Employee perceptions often reflect those of their managers and supervisors, and when they see leaders following workplace safety protocols, they are more likely to follow. Business leaders who highlight adherence to safety behaviors send the right message about their commitment to workplace safety.
With communication, team building, and modeling, you can improve workplace safety and help your employees feel safe. Safeguard can help you keep your employees, customers, and community safe with professional PPE from a trustworthy vendor. We have all of your PPE essentials, with PPE products you need in bulk, in stock, and ready to deliver in the US. Contact Us to get started. https://www.promoplace.com/essentialitemscovid19
Key Takeaways
Organizations and business leaders need to help manage safety perceptions to help employees and customers understand their role in social distancing behaviors and PPE use.
Managing employee safety perceptions is crucial to achieving excellent safety performance.
Social distancing, frequent handwashing, and face masks are most effective when employees and customers are all on the same page.
Safeguard can help you keep your employees, customers, and community safe with professional PPE from a trustworthy vendor. Contact Us to get started. https://www.promoplace.com/essentialitemscovid19
