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Developing occupational safety in everyday life - using proactive tools
Safety at work is above all about anticipation - not reacting only after something has already happened. A safe working environment is built through everyday actions, observations and an open culture where everyone has the opportunity to contribute to safety. Safety observations and safety rounds can be made truly impactful and can be used to derive data to support improvement. It is practical solutions such as these that organisations can quickly adopt as part of their proactive safety work.
How to increase and exploit safety findings?
Impactful safety observations are created when every employee feels they can make their observations easily and with a low threshold.
- Making observations does not always require forms. The frontline worker can record verbally reported observations on behalf of the employee. This lowers the threshold, especially for people with, for example, speech or reading difficulties.
- The findings of the safety rounds should be put to good use. The findings from the rounds are just as valuable as the individual notifications - they should be included in the measurement and development work.
The key is to build an atmosphere in the organisation where making observations is part of the normal way of working - not an extra task.
How to use safety findings data in your development
safety findings generate a huge amount of valuable information that should be actively used - not just for archiving, but for development.
- Combine safety rounds and observations. Rather than treating findings from rounds and separate reports separately, it's a good idea to report them together. This will give you a more complete and accurate picture of the risk areas in the workplace.
- Take advantage of analytics and artificial intelligence. AI can help identify recurring phenomena or cause-and-effect relationships among observations - better targeting development efforts. (Always consider data safety before processing data.)
- Make use of the "immediate action" section of the observation form.
This section of the observation form is not only a documentation tool, but also a tool to encourage the observer to think about a quick solution to the situation as soon as he/she makes the observation. Quick action can prevent accidents from happening even before the actual handling process begins - and at the same time reinforce safety thinking at a day-to-day level.
Developing safety work does not have to be complex or heavy. There are a number of effective and concrete measures that can be put in place immediately.
How do you build a proactive safety culture in small steps?
Proactive safety work does not mean major system changes or complex processes. Above all, impact comes from very small everyday choices, practices and an inclusive culture.
- Build a culture of open debate. Encourage employees to express their observations, both large and small, and allow them to do so verbally. Make reporting as effortless as possible. When reporting is seen as a natural part of the job, the quantity and quality of observations will improve.
- Bring safety tours to the office too. While traditional hazards are not the main focus of office work, it is worth paying attention to issues such as work organisation, psychosocial stress and ergonomics. Quality and well-being at work aspects can also be linked to safety tours.
- Link safety work to preparedness and continuity. Proactive measures, such as making use of observations and correcting deficiencies quickly, can prevent incidents or at least mitigate their consequences. Safety observations also support risk assessment and continuity planning.
A proactive safety culture comes from actions - not tools alone. When safety is part of daily operations, it is not a burden, but a support for the safety and well-being of the whole organisation.
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