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The single most important goal of every employer is to ensure that all workers return home to their loved ones, every day, in as good or better condition than when they went to work. It’s a simple thought; something we’ve heard in a variety of ways and on many occasions, but it’s also a universal truth.

It’s universal because of the silent stakeholders; every parent, grandparent, and child of our workers. For them, it’s not an ask or a want to have their loved ones come home healthy, it’s a demand; and something all organizations are well-served to appreciate. For safety leaders, the challenge is fulfilling this promise effectively.

So what are the key elements of a safety system that can deliver on that promise? What actions and behaviors must be cultivated in the workforce to sustain safety excellence over time? What culture will foster the safety mindset we’re looking for in our team? From the c-suites of big corporations to the field offices at the construction site, the answers will carry consequences for better or for worse. The solutions chosen will have a direct impact on injury rates and incident severity.

The two essentials of a high performing safety systems are buy-in at all levels of the business and tangible, vocal leadership throughout the chain of command. They are critical elements but, on their own, insufficient for moving the needle on safety performance permanently. We also need guiding principles; foundational beliefs that define our values and guide our efforts. This article will highlight five safety principles I consider indispensable.

From the c-suites of big corporations to the field offices at the construction site, the answers will carry consequences for better or for worse. The solutions chosen will have a direct impact on injury rates and incident severity.

Elevating the safety mindset of a workforce is strongly correlated to reducing incident rate. It’s the high tide that raises all boats. Mindset affects decision making, education practices, accountability, and awareness. Meaningful adoption of these principles is your fastest path to success in that regard.

1. Make safety the first filter in your decision making. It should be the first consideration, before service, sales, or anything else. Parents do this for their children instinctively, the best safety leaders do it for the workforce as well.
2. Strive for excellence in safety onboarding. This is the founding stone of any great safety culture. For companies with a TCIR of 1.0, it’s a strategic element of the business. Getting a new hire on the right path from the start is strong indicator of future safety performance.
3. Add value to safety communication through unexpected engagements. Unexpected touchpoints with unexpected frequency that are sustained over time have a powerful impact on safety culture and safety behavior of the workforce. Safety is not a separate system supporting operations, it must be treated as an integral component of it.
4. Set high standards and hold to them. Leading by example, insisting on high quality inspections, and showing urgency in incident response are important characteristics of this principle. The goal is to promote a “when you see something, say something” behavior in the workforce to improve safety in real time.
5. Inspire and empower your workforce. Developing great mentors will improve the quality of onboarding and continuing education activities. Delegating safety responsibilities empowers others on the team to think critically about safety. Praising great safety behavior will increase the chances of it being repeated. These are good examples of culture building activities and great reasons for giving safety a significant weight in performance reviews.

The benefits of winning on these principles are numerous and consequential. Success will have a noticeable impact on the bottom line and on many other facets of the business (see image below). Do what you can to develop the safety mindset in the people around you. The rewards for doing so will always outweigh the effort you put into it!

A toolbox talk supporting this article is available at www.asa.net/Education/Safety.