Influence of workplace culture on health and safety

How workplace culture affects health and safety

When companies commit to diversity and proclaim that they follow it, there can be various reasons behind it. Some do it because they believe it is correct, while others simply work it out for public relations.

At a workplace, diversity is the difference in perspectives that stems from where we come from, how we think and what we believe. It is encouraged as it is the wellspring of creativity and innovation.

But in safety, isn’t some baseline similarity or some level of conformance required to coordinate activities and tasks across the work arena? Shouldn’t employees be viewed as assets who need to embrace an internalized yet organized form of diversity for smooth functioning of tasks?

This pandemic has given us lessons that an organizational life is filled with busy work, time-consuming meetings, forms and processes that add little value. This crisis is a great time to redesign how we work – for EHS, this can mean creating a sense of support among workers who can ensure that important tasks are always complete. This remains most important as any complacency can lead to hazardous consequences, mental and physical both.

Especially in today’s times, when the ability to bounce back and move forward evaporates when people freeze up and freak out – health and safety require building cultural and psychological protection for employees. People shall conform to workplace rules and regulations when cultures are flexible, celebrate individuality and enable them to be the best at work.

Some questions that an industry should consider while analyzing their employees are –

  • How similar are the talks of different employees about their workplace culture?
  • Is t perceived as monolithic or expansive?
  • Does the workplace culture undermine their performance?

Though making sound decisions under such conditions is extremely difficult, engaging in useless rumination about what might have been and who is to blame can make things tougher.

One needs to slow down to speed up

Threats to well-being harm less if reliable signals enable people to know when they are safe versus when it is imminent and fear is warranted – they should know that now it is time to take action to minimize risk.

A checklist can dampen many of the distressing consequences from this sudden shift – this can involve explaining decisions in enough to convey that as an industrial leader, you treat your employees with nuance and care.

Some points that any industry can take into consideration are –

  • Appoint a designated crisis management team
  • Keep employees connected with timely updates and accurate information
  • Create an environment that fosters online collaboration
  • Use proper employee communication tools
  • Define a central communication channel for transparency
  • Respect self-isolation guidelines and stay in touch with them
  • Update workplace health and safety policies

Even under dire consequences, employees can feel safeguarded if their safety is taken care of.

Our EHS services can increase your employee accountability with easy and prompt assignment of tasks and effective management of the deadlines, elevating EHS performance and simultaneously ensuring compliance and workplace safety.

Reason – now it’s time to promote consistency and conformity, to more flexible cultures that rejoice and draw employees’ signature strengths and quirks. Doing so shall help organizations improve the flexibility and processes required to survive and compete in the coming years.

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