#021: How To Create A Safety Culture

Culture:  noun cul·ture \ˈkəl-chər\  A blend of the values, beliefs, taboos, symbols, rituals, and myths a company develops over time.  Whether written as a mission statement, spoken or merely understood, corporate culture describes and governs the ways a company’s owners and employees think, feel and act. Does your company have a safety program or a safety culture? What’s the difference?  One requires constant maintenance and enforcement and the other tends to take care of itself. Keys to creating a construction safety culture: 1. Safety can NOT be a priority. 2. Safety must become a value or a conviction, neither of which will be shuffled like a priority. 3. Change the mindset about who is responsible for safety. 4. Develop “small unit cohesion.” Some practical things you can do to create a safety culture: 1. Reward safe behavior on the spot. 2. Reward safety innovation. 3. Gather the crew – and their families – outside of work. 4. Engage the crew on how to solve safety problems. Ask questions instead of prescribing policy. 5. There are a few others in the podcast. Listen to the podcast to hear a few other strategies for developing a safety culture, and some steps around how to respond to a safety violation.