5 Ways to Motivate Employees to Follow Your Safety Program
- 05 Oct 2022
- Articles
Safety is always first in line when dealing with employees in every field and industry possible. Especially in healthcare organizations, employees and staff should know how important their jobs are and how big the risks are intertwined with their responsibility.
That’s why creating a safety culture within the organization is of utmost importance. But, as frequent as the reminders can get, only some still follow the safety program.
Here are some ways to strengthen your safety program in the healthcare organization to help you establish a safety culture.
Being knowledgeable about what to do creates an atmosphere of relief and preparation. From the first day the employees step foot in the organization to the last day of their employee status, it should be clear that safety is one core value that the organization holds.
Scheduled Safety Training
Awareness of the safety procedures in case of emergency or in everyday office life is important to remind staff about the safety programs in the organization constantly.
One way of doing this is to schedule safety training that makes them aware of what to do, and its consequence in case safety is ignored. This creates a sort of alarm in their minds that ignoring safety programs has significant consequences as a result in times of practical application.
Training should be often but not always to not bore the employees in educating them.
Your staff will respond positively to incentives if they are correctly rewarded for following safety procedures.
Injuries and Accidents Transparency Report
A consistent report on the diminishing number of injuries and accidents is one of the first measures to utilize. This report will serve as a sort of compensation for your hard work.
However, you shouldn't only concentrate on this approach. If applied incorrectly, it will have the reverse impact, making your employees unwilling to disclose difficulties and injuries.
Tokens of Appreciation as Reward
Be on the lookout for individuals practicing appropriate safety measures and reporting them to the higher-ups. Employees who constantly act with safety in mind should be rewarded with incentives to motivate them to continue to do so.
These incentives may include time off, monetary or non-monetary awards, or rewards offered in front of coworkers; nevertheless, this is not an exhaustive list. A sincere expression of gratitude can take one a very long way.
To keep employees engaged in safety initiatives, leaders must show that they are fully committed to the cause.
An organization’s leadership team should likewise be devoted to a positive example for everyone so that the issue of employees not following safety programs can be avoided. Employee involvement in safety programs is mainly based on the motivation and support of the leadership team.
Leaders should not only be held to the same standards as their staff, but they should also set out time to solicit input from their workers.
That leads us to…
In the first place, the safety programs should be for the sake of the employees and not just for compliance. It should focus on the holistic approach to the well-being of the staff and not only on sudden emergencies.
Given that prioritizing emergency precautions is necessary, it’s also vital to focus on the emotional and mental aspects of the healthcare employees.
Stress Management and Mental Health Safety Programs
Healthcare organizations handle lots of inquiries and processes each day. As a result, staff working eight (or more) hours are prone to stress and mental health decline.
This goes to say that the management should cater to this aspect in the organization’s safety programs as it establishes that the organization’s vision is toward the safety of the employees.
Think of it like this: if the employees and staff are mentally prepared and the workplace is stress-free, the efficiency and productivity can exponentially increase.
Feedback Mechanism in Updating Safety Programs
There should be an open discussion among leadership teams on enhancing the safety program if most employees are dissatisfied with a particular aspect. Your employees will be more likely to comply with your safety program if they perceive that your organization truly listens to their concerns.
As soon as management receives an excellent idea or observation, act on it immediately and thank the person for their contribution with a suitable reward.
Including a budget for implementing safety programs in the healthcare organization can encourage employees to take this program as necessary.
There's no point in having the most safety-conscious workers in the world if the floor is skewed. Depending on the country, different workplace safety regulations are required. It is essential always to strive to go above and beyond these safety rules.
Professional Help May be Needed
This is to say that if the management doesn’t know how to train the employees, it is just right to hire people who know the ins and outs of the safety program. If the safety program is lopsided, the organization should consult experts to analyze what the organization needs alongside listening to the employees.
Having tangible support, too, is very necessary. Investing in proper equipment needed for emergencies, constantly checking up on the maintenance of these devices, and hiring individuals to educate employees in using these are ways the healthcare organization can provide tangible support.
Implement It Up!
An organization works because of its employees. It is just fitting that the safety of the employees should be a core value and the main priority of the healthcare organization.
You can't have a successful safety program without engaged staff. You can ensure awareness by educating the workforce, utilizing positive reinforcement to thank the employees, involving leadership, listening to and acting on employee feedback, and providing support.
You’re guaranteed that employees are motivated to follow safety programs. What are you waiting for? Implement it up!
