Improving the safety of your employees and the business as a whole, is an important consideration for most organisations. That’s why so many organisations strive for a high level of safety maturity.
Superior safety maturity often results in a more proactive safety approach. Leaders and the workforce alike commit to protecting one another. Everyone is accountable for each other’s safety and the team is continually improving their workflows and procedures.
There are many levels of safety maturity, so reaching one of the higher ones is quite difficult. Many organisations run into common barriers that are standing in the way of a safer workplace. Read on to uncover the barriers that might be standing in your way and what to do to overcome them.
3 Common Barriers Organisations Face
There are several obstacles organisations can face, but we wanted to focus on the following three as they are the most common. Let’s jump right in!
1. Senior management commitment
Cultivating a positive safety culture (which can lead to a high level of safety maturity) starts at the very top. Senior leadership must be committed to safety for any behaviour to be enforced. Without their commitment, there will also be no safety strategy in place.
Leaders must show their dedication to creating a safe workplace by implementing it as one of the goals for the business. A safer workplace can have many benefits. It can protect employees and save time that would otherwise be lost due to incidents or injuries. It can also improve business performance and create greater brand credibility in the market. Companies want to do business with other companies who have a strong safety record.
If you’re struggling to demonstrate the value of safety to your leadership team, check out this whitepaper.
2. Limited resources
Another common barrier is limited resources. Oftentimes the responsibility of the health and safety of an organisation is placed on one person, such as a safety manager. Very few resources are provided, which not only include staff, but also time and money.
It’s nearly impossible to reach a high level of safety maturity without the proper resources. The first is a team to help the organisation achieve its health and safety goals. This not only includes members of the health and safety department, but also front-line employees to fulfil all the necessary safety duties. Budget also needs to be allocated to the health and safety department so the team can resource the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), machinery, and equipment needed to control hazards.
Leaders need to show their commitment to safety by providing the resources required to reach a higher level of safety maturity.
3. Lack of technology
Part of a superior safety maturity level is the ability to control hazards effectively. One way to do this is through digital safety management systems. Such systems can help digitise your organisation’s safety program so all data can be tracked and analysed in one place. This way team members can also see exactly where gaps in their safety program might be and can prioritise them accordingly.
Havin the proper technology such as a digital safety solution, can help streamline processes and allow for standardisation of procedures across the organisation. It can also provide real-time data and alerts to employees when a hazard is identified, with the necessary corrective actions.
This way, employee accountability is created as employees can see who the task is assigned to and the corrective action completion status. With a 360-degree view into your safety program, you can develop a stronger safety strategy and drive performance to raise your organisation’s safety maturity level.
How to Overcome These Barriers
There are many more obstacles teams may face, which make reaching a high level of safety maturity a challenge. Our team wants to help you overcome these challenges and improve safety culture and maturity with the right resources. Our guide, 7 Steps to Revolutionise Your Health and Safety Maturity and Culture, uncovers how you can overcome the above barriers and more.
It’s time to revolutionise your health and safety maturity today! Download your free guide now.