Who is responsible for company safety? This is a fundamental question to answer before sustainable safety improvements are made. Where do you start?

Leaders must do the right thing.
Model the behaviours that contribute to a strong safety culture
No mixed messages about safety versus productivity
Promote a culture of safety
Above all, leaders can focus on empowering employees to make safe decisions.
Workers
No pressure from customer Demand
Tools and Equipment needed for the job
However, employers ultimately rely on workers to make the right decisions when it comes to protecting their safety and that of their co-workers.

Making the right decision every time is the ideal. That is not realistic though, because of how the brain operates. In fact, most actions are not decision-based. They are habits that worked yesterday to get the job done.

There are many hazards that can distort decision-making.
People make decisions unconsciously.
We think we see everything but do not.
We think we recall every detail, but memory is not absolute.
Our brains reward us for fitting in.
Fatigued brains push us to take the easy path.
Companies foster safe decision making by encouraging people to notice exposures that most people miss. In other words, when employees engage in actively noticing exposures, they will notice more and be more engaged. They will fee responsible for company safety.

The safest teams communicate what they are doing and what they will be doing. Leadership plays a key role, but safe decision-making is the result of balanced interaction between management and front-line employees.

The answer to “Who is responsible for company safety” is everybody.
Wombat Software has a goal to create software that helps companies make safety something everybody can contribute to. In other words, create an environment that encourages employees to make decisions that incorporate safety into every aspect of their work. After all, that is good for everybody.