Building a Strong Health and Safety Culture

This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses the essential elements of building a strong safety culture in the construction industry and features Tracy O'Brien, health and safety manager at Tomlinson.Tracy defines a positive safety culture as a self-sustaining and supportive environment where safety is ingrained in everyday practices, encouraging open communication and allowing all employees to voice concerns without fear of penalty.An effective safety culture impacts not only the physical safety of workers but also the overall productivity and success of construction projects. Signs of a strong safety culture include visually clean sites, proper PPE use, maintained housekeeping, and active engagement from supervisors and workers who feel heard and valued.Tracy discusses the stigma surrounding near-miss reporting and how creating a supportive environment for sharing incidents can help identify potential risks and prevent future occurrences. She also shares real-life incidents that reinforce the importance of safety culture during emergencies and the need for continuous improvement in safety practices. Free resourcesIHSA - Certificate of Recognition (COR®)Basics of Supervising TrainingJHSC Training Part 1JHSC Training Part 2See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.