June is National Safety Month. An initiative of the National Safety Council, National Safety Month is a month-long observance aimed at spreading awareness of safety hazards and unintentional injuries for industrial workers of the United States.
While safety is a top priority of 48forty throughout the year, National Safety Month provides an opportunity to raise awareness about preventable injuries and promote safety practices in various aspects of our work lives. It serves as a reminder that safety should always be our top priority.
Over the course of Safety Month, 48forty is sharing a host of knowledge, tools, and information with employees to help remind them to stay safe on the job. Our safety philosophy is to, “See It. Own It. Share It.”
Creating and maintaining a safe workplace for all is a shared responsibility. By promoting a culture of vigilance, accountability, and shared responsibility, we can create safer working environments and reduce the risk of accidents, injuries, and even fatalities.
See It.
The best way to keep employees safe on the job is to prevent accidents and injuries from ever taking place. We aim to foster a culture of vigilance and encourage everyone to proactively recognize job-related hazards. Hazard recognition is everyone’s responsibility and, here at 48forty, we empower our employees to keep themselves and others safe on the job by identifying potential safety risks. They are empowered with stop-work authority which means any employee who sees a safety hazard has the authority to stop an action or condition they consider to be unsafe. The goal is to encourage employees to speak up when they see a potential at-risk situation unfolding. Hazard recognition is both a responsibility and an obligation. By actively looking for hazards, employees become the first line of defense, fostering a safety-conscious environment.
Own It.
Personal responsibility is key when it comes to safety. We teach our employees that recognizing a potential hazard on the job isn’t enough. Employees are encouraged to take responsibility for the safety issue. Owning workplace hazards means assuming responsibility for addressing and resolving the issues promptly. This responsibility should not be limited to a designated safety officer or a specific department. Instead, it should be ingrained in the mindset of every individual within the organization.
Encouraging employees to take ownership of hazards creates a proactive safety culture where everyone feels empowered to initiate necessary actions. Establishing clear channels of communication, such as reporting mechanisms and suggestion boxes, can facilitate the process of reporting hazards. Employees should be educated on the appropriate procedures to follow when encountering a hazard and should feel comfortable reporting concerns without fear of retribution. By owning workplace hazards collectively, organizations foster a sense of shared responsibility and actively work towards a safer and healthier workplace for all.
Share It.
When it comes to safety, there can be no secrets. Reporting safety concerns isn’t tattling. Identifying a potential safety risk isn’t enough to keep our workforce safe. Sharing that safety concern to ensure that it is addressed and resolved helps ensure that each employee stays safe on the job. In sharing safety hazards, concerns, and ideas, employees are not just keeping their co-workers in their location safe but are providing their managers with the information needed to share that information across all of our locations, potentially benefitting our entire workforce.
At 48forty, we take safety seriously. We are committed to investigating concerns thoroughly and communicating the necessary steps to address them. We encourage our employees to share their safety concerns and ideas through regular safety meetings, training sessions, and suggestion platforms. By sharing workplace hazards, we harness the collective knowledge and insights of our workforce, leading to improved safety measures and accident prevention.
National Safety Month serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of seeing, owning, and sharing workplace hazards. At 48forty, we take safety seriously and strive to provide a work environment where everyone feels safe, valued, and empowered to speak up about potential hazards. By fostering a culture of vigilance, accountability, and shared responsibility, we can create safer working environments. When employees actively identify hazards, take ownership of them, and communicate their findings, it becomes possible to mitigate risks and prevent accidents. Implementing robust hazard recognition training, establishing clear reporting mechanisms, and promoting open communication channels are critical steps toward achieving a safer future for all.