Your team is at odds over safety procedures. How will you bring everyone on board?
When safety procedures cause division, it's crucial to steer your team towards consensus. To navigate this challenge:
- Open a dialogue to understand concerns. Give each team member a platform to voice their specific reservations.
- Highlight the mutual benefits of adherence. Emphasize how safety protocols protect everyone and support productivity.
- Offer training sessions to clarify procedures. Ensure all members are competent and confident in executing safety measures.
How do you foster agreement on safety practices within your team?
Your team is at odds over safety procedures. How will you bring everyone on board?
When safety procedures cause division, it's crucial to steer your team towards consensus. To navigate this challenge:
- Open a dialogue to understand concerns. Give each team member a platform to voice their specific reservations.
- Highlight the mutual benefits of adherence. Emphasize how safety protocols protect everyone and support productivity.
- Offer training sessions to clarify procedures. Ensure all members are competent and confident in executing safety measures.
How do you foster agreement on safety practices within your team?
-
This is a broad statement that can have many different solutions depending on the source(s) of differences. Discussions with team members is a start. Safety starts at the top. The team has to feel the people at the top (all leaders listen, care about the team, and believe in safety themselves). Show up and spend time with the team learning about them and their motivations for being safe.
-
Actively listen to the employees closest to the work first! Write down their concerns, but more importantly their solutions. If there are concerns from other organizational levels, they should ask questions without being directive. In the end, the employees doing the work must own the solutions so they do the right thing when nobody is watching!
-
To resolve team disagreements over safety on a construction site, 1) start by hosting an open discussion to identify concerns and ensure all voices are heard. 2) Emphasize that safety is non-negotiable and vital to everyone's well-being. 3) Reference applicable standards, such as OSHA or BIS codes, to set an objective baseline. 4) Collaborate with the team to revise procedures, ensuring they are practical and inclusive. 5) Provide tailored safety training, clear SOPs, and visual aids to simplify adherence. 6) Appoint safety champions to oversee compliance and address challenges. 7) Gradually implement changes, monitor adherence, and maintain a feedback loop. 8) Recognize and reward adherence to foster a safety-first culture.
-
This is a bit broad, however, safety procedures are developed as a result from Risk analysis (registers) and gap analysis of the controls around the risk. Bringing everyone back to understand whatever risk the safety procedure is address will get them on board.
-
If there is a lack of consensus among members on Safety procedures, it is time to revisit procedures. Let's take views of members and collate points that are making them differ. This is one of the points that make procedures on paper differing from the actual work process. It is dangerous. Here, Safety Professionals and process SMEs should come in picture and collaborate to come out with the best suited procedures that will accelerate the process and at the same time will be user friendly ensuring Safety of employees.
Rate this article
More relevant reading
-
Manufacturing OperationsHow can you create a safety culture for your team?
-
Manufacturing OperationsYou’re a manufacturing operations manager. How can you create a culture of safety in your team?
-
Manufacturing EngineeringHow can you create a safe environment for your manufacturing team?
-
Culture ChangeWhat are the most effective ways to create a culture of safety?