Be the leader your workers need. Safety starts with you.
Health and safety starts at the top. Strong leadership and a firm commitment to continuously improve, backed by action, are the foundations of a strong safety culture.
Why build a culture of safety?
Developing a strong safety culture promotes more than just safety; it benefits and protects your most important asset - your workforce. As well as being the right thing to do, reducing injury is good for business. A safety culture will help boost productivity, attract employees and improve retention and foster innovation, quality and efficiency through continuous improvement.
Take the lead and explore the four pillars of building a safety culture in your organisation:
The value of safer
manufacturing workplaces Designing safer
manufacturing workplaces Educating and training
workers to improve safety Consulting with workers and
optimising health and safety
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The value of safer manufacturing workplaces
Failure to manage workplace manufacturing safety can result in injury and even death
Forklift and machine safety are two of the highest impact harms in NSW. Every year, they result in substantial financial and human costs for workers, industry and the community. At SafeWork NSW, we understand that developing a culture of safety in your workplace takes time, commitment and leadership but we're here to help.
Productivity, cost savings ... a happier, healthier workforce ... Doing safety well is simply good for business. [On the benefits of a safety culture]
Bluescope Steel, Health and Safety Manager
In this leader talk, we speak with Bluescope Steel Health and Safety Manager, Abby Ford, about the value and benefits a strong culture of health and safety for business, workplaces and workers.
For businesses, this could be a boost in productivity and increase to the bottom line. It could make workplaces a more desirable place to work and could help innovative manufacturing process. For workers, the value could be an increase in confidence to carry out work safety.
Find out moreDesigning safer manufacturing workplaces
A safety culture is most effective when every job is designed to be safe, has safe practices, controls and outputs. Further to this, it’s essential that everyone is accountable for their part in creating a culture of safety.
Good communication can help gain employee involvement and commitment to uncover the underlying causes of incidents so you can take corrective action and/or prevent a recurrence.
If people feel empowered to find a solution, it breaks down the barriers of fear and the unknown.
Yates, Safety & Sustainability Business Lead
In this leader talk, we speak with Yates Safety & Sustainability Business Lead, Tamara Scanlan, about creating a safety culture and how workplaces can benefit when they are designed (or re-designed) with safety in mind.
Find out moreEducating and training workers to improve safety in manufacturing
Forklifts and unguarded machines are the highest impact harms in the manufacturing sector in NSW. To help engage your workforce and improve health and safety in the workplace we have created a wide range of resources including: safety guides, toolbox talk guides, fact sheets and posters.
Take people on the safety journey rather than invite them to the end destination.
Viridian Glass, Work Health & Safety Manager
In this leader talk, we speak with Viridian Glass, Work Health & Safety Manager, Mark Peagam about the benefits and value of education and training in health and safety. In NSW, forklifts and unguarded machines are the highest impact harms in the manufacturing sector, but with the right training and education, incidents can be avoided.
Find out moreConsulting with workers and optimising health and safety
Consultation is essential in designing a safer workplace. A culture of open communication ensures that workers bring their expertise to health and safety decisions with clear and relevant communication flowing through all levels of the organisation.
As well as being mandatory under WHS legislation in NSW, workplace consultation can assist in managing change, enhancing cooperation and increasing productivity. It can identify opportunities, assist decision making and make sure any new ideas work effectively in practice
The best people to tell us about safety solutions are the people who are working the equipment.
Allied Pinnacle, National Work Health & Safety Manager
In this leader talk, we speak with Allied Pinnacle, National Work Health & Safety Manager, Maria Hooker, about effectively consulting with workers and optimising health and safety. A culture of open communication, essential (and mandatory) in creating a safer workplace.
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