Creating a sustainable safety program is a complex process.

Let’s distill it down to some key elements.

• Job Hazard Assessments are a critical first step to identifying potential hazards.  Prioritizing them based on the level of risk and creating appropriate mitigation controls are equally important parts of the process.
• Train Workers to safely function in their roles.  Consequently, they become productive and less prone to injury. New hire orientation sets employees up for success.  After that, recurring safety meetings and toolbox talks ensure that safety remains top of mind.
• Write Safety Policies and Procedures and incorporate them into every facet of the safety program. After that, establish a systematic approach to communicating and routinely reviewing those policies.
• Thorough documentation of incidents allows a company to recognize lagging indicators.    Understanding the significance of trends is key to preventing a serious accident.  Above all, a workplace Accident says a lot about the effectiveness of a safety program. Therefore, Accident Investigations require specific details and careful review by a knowledgeable team.  Corrective Actions are the output of a productive investigation.  Additionally, improvements within the entire safety program are the ultimate goal.
• Safety programs evolve. Therfore, evaluating each of these components on a recurring basis is critical.
• Most companies talk about creating a strong safety culture.  Leaders drive culture.  Therfore, Management must be an active participant in the safety program.

Important questions to ask when creating a sustainable safety program

• How are accidents trending?
• Have safety goals been achieved?
• What are the hazards?
• Are the same workers identifying the same hazards?
• Look at employee training levels.  Where are they lagging?

Establishing a set of objective, measurable and trackable standards that incorporate both leading and lagging indicators will answer these questions.

Wombat Software wants to simplify the hard work involved in maintaining the effectiveness of a safety program.  What are the most effective ways to automate these key components and put your safety program on autopilot?  Please share your ideas with us.  Above all, we want to help companies send each of their employees home safety every day.