Communication is important to the success of your business, no matter what industry you are in. Proper communication will improve morale, retention rates, and productivity. It especially plays a key role in ensuring your employees know how to remain safe on the job and properly perform their tasks. Here is how communication can play a key role in workplace safety.
Health and safety play a key role in every job but it is more important in some environments than others. In a warehouse setting, for example, safety might play a bigger role than in a traditional office setting. Because of this, communicating safety protocols and procedures effectively is crucial to maintaining an accident-free, safe workplace.
This goes beyond leadership communicating with employees. Staff should also be communicating with each other about potential hazards. If an employee is using a piece of equipment, for instance, they should communicate with others around them. This can greatly help reduce the risk of injury.
You should also consider non-verbal communication, such as postings throughout the workplace. A good example of this is clearly labeled fire exits in the workplace and signage warning of potential dangers. All of these forms of communication impact safety on the job. Here are a few other things that are impacted by proper safety communication at work.
When you communicate effectively with your team, they know what is expected of them. There will be no confusion when it comes to what they are supposed to do. In terms of health and safety, this means that you will have communicated the precautions they need to take in order to avoid injury on the job. They will know what to avoid and what to report when it comes to maintaining a safe workplace.
3. Team Building and Accountability
Many workplaces that aim to maintain safety will have goals centered around being safe. For instance, your warehouse may have a goal to remain accident-free. You can track that metric by posting how many days, weeks, months your workspace has been free of injury. This type of communication helps build a common goal for your staff to tackle together and also helps hold them accountable.
Providing effective communication around safety expectations will also help improve employee morale. Fewer accidents will happen on the job and they will work with the knowledge that their employer puts an emphasis on their well-being. This will help them feel more valued in the workplace and happier overall.
When you emphasize a safe workplace in your communication with your staff, productivity will improve. Again, this is because your employees will know exactly what is expected of them in terms of safety. Poor communication can lead to accidents on the job, missed work, and lost productivity.
Read how Communication Improves Retention
Having a proper training program and regular communications can help ensure your employees stay safe in the workplace. Partnering with a staffing agency like Timpl can help you fine-tune your onboarding and training processes as well as maintain good communication. Contact us to learn more about how we can assist your organization.