Practicing safety culture in the workplace

 

Safety has always been paramount for Captain Martin Lloyd Sanders. And no less than the workplace needs more attention because of the hazards involved in a busy atmosphere that workers are engaged in. So here's an article from the safety expert, which will look into the practice of safety culture in the workplace.

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First, what is safety culture? The Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) defines safety culture as consisting " … of shared beliefs, practices, and attitudes that exist at an establishment. Thus, culture is the atmosphere created by those beliefs, attitudes, etc., which shape our behavior." Moreover, safety culture should also work together with a company's existing safety procedures and influence each other for a more holistic approach.

Most experts believe that safety culture is largely abstract and therefore cannot be measured. But there are ways to determine how it is practiced by an organization, which can be applied to those who are yet to establish their own.

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In his observations, Captain Martin Lloyd Sanders noted that the things that stand out among safety culture practices are that employees throughout the organization exhibit a working knowledge of health and safety topics. In addition, the company shows visible evidence of financial investment in health and safety.

These two characteristics or indicators of safety culture show a commitment from all levels of the organization. There is leadership, and there is cooperation, which brings back to the earlier assertion that safety culture should work hand-in-hand with safety procedures, despite being immeasurable. This is a welcoming thought.

Captain Martin Lloyd Sanders has more than a decade of experience in the field of occupational health and safety. He served as the Director of Safety, Environmental Compliance and Emergency Management of the Federal Occupational Health, Program Support Center, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration. He was acting Chief of Safety for the Department of Health and Human Safety (DHHS). For more updates, click here.

Disclaimer: This site was prepared by Martin Sanders in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed are the author's own and do not reflect the views of the USPHS, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, or the United States Government.