The 5 E’s of a Workplace Safety Program
As an employer, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your employees are safe and healthy at the workplace. Having the right safety program helps you focus on improving workplace safety. A detailed safety program helps you identify – what you’re doing right at the workplace, where you are lacking and what measures you should take to enhance the safety and health of your employees.
The right safety program helps you prevent injuries and accidents in the workplace. The safety program varies from one business to another. For instance, if you run a small business in a low-risk industry, then you may not have a formal safety program. You may listen to employee concerns as they crop up and respond accordingly.
On the other hand, if you run a factory, then you are most likely to have written safety policies, a full-time safety manager, and more.
The key idea here is to create a safety plan that is the right fit for your organization. This means you cannot download a random safety program that you find on the internet and use it for your business. You have to consider the needs of your business and choose the right program that works for your company.
What makes the Right Safety System?
A successful safety program is a key part of your business, like other operations like finance, HR, stock keeping, and more.
All safety systems should have the following:
- Dedicated safety manager who is responsible for overseeing the entire process
- Key employees who work along with the safety manager to ensure that all policies are being implemented
- Compliance with state and central regulations
- A system that identifies workplace hazards and eliminates it
- Regular and periodic training for employees
- Build a safety culture at work
- Feedback and continuous improvement
The 5 E’s of a Successful Workplace Safety Program
If you don’t have a formal safety program in place yet, you’re in luck. This guide outlines all that you need to get started with the right safety program for your business.
Before you build a new safety framework for your business, you have to understand the 5 E’s of safety. Wondering what these are? Continue reading to find out.
1. Education
Before you implement workplace safety, you need to ensure that all your employees have a clear understanding of what it is all about. You have to start by teaching them safety rules, building awareness on why it’s essential to work safely and teach them about the importance of creating a safety-first culture at work.
Without the right education, your safety program will not kick-off as expected. Teaching employees about workplace safety gives them the right guidance to implement it.
2. Encouragement
Safety is a two-way process. You cannot expect all your employees to start practicing safety rules at work just because you made them attend a series of lectures on the topic. You need to provide them with the right incentives to follow the rules and regulations.
Make safety a fun and all-inclusive topic. Encourage employees to provide their feedback and opinions on the subject. Make them feel a part of the process and not just on the receiving end.
3. Engineering
This is where you implement your safety policies. You need to build a specific safety program that meets the specific needs of your business. This is often the most difficult part, and if you’re struggling with this step, you can reach out to Totalika, leading industrial and commercial safety experts in India. Our team will help you create a customized safety plan that meets all your requirements.
4. Enforcement
This is a crucial step in ensuring that your safety plan works as planned. It’s not just enough to have the right safety plan. You have to ensure that it’s being enforced. The primary role of this step is to prevent workplace accidents, save lives, and create a hazard-free, productive work environment.
5. Evaluation
Finally, you need to evaluate your safety program periodically to ensure that it works as expected. Periodic evaluation is a must as workplaces are not static. Operations change from time to time, new hazards crop up, and you need to re-engineer your safety policy to address the changing challenges of the business.
Evaluation ensures that the right safety resources are used and the safety plan continues to be the right fit for your business.
Wrapping Up – Use the 5 E’s to Custom Create the Right Safety Program for your Workplace
Use this guide to help you build the right safety program. And, if you need any help at any stage, reach out to our efficient and experienced safety consultants, who ensure that your workplace is safe and free from incidents.
