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Published on Nov 30
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Whether or not your company provides effective safety meetings can have a significant impact on the culture of safety within your company. Rather than just talking about safety, effective meetings allow your committee members to become truly engaged in creating a safer work environment for everyone in the company. Getting the most out of your safety meetings means less wasted time for your committee members, a safer work environment for your employees, and a more engaged workforce. Here are four tips for you to help you provide more effective safety meetings in the workplace.
Committee makeup
Your safety committee should be a broad representation of your company as a whole. Upper management may be out of touch with the daily grind of line workers, while line workers may not grasp how each safety measure effects the company as a whole. Getting the right mix of employees on your committee is invaluable.
No matter your regular company culture, your safety committee meetings should be egalitarian and each member, no matter their position in the company, should feel comfortable providing input, questions, and concerns. Promote the opportunity for everyone to become involved in the committee by rotating members on a regular basis. As a bonus, this rotation strategy also keeps ideas and perspectives fresh.
Plan ahead
Don’t waste your committee members’ time. Develop an agenda in advance and distribute it to all committee members ahead of the meeting so that they have time to prepare.
To keep things on track, your agenda should also set time limits for each agenda item and for the meeting as a whole. This allows your committee members to plan the rest of their day, ensuring that they are able to complete their regular duties while also focusing their attention on safety during the meeting.
Variety keeps things interesting
Spice up your safety meetings to keep committee members engaged. Some topics may lend themselves to more informational-style delivery, but not every meeting should be a lecture.
Whenever possible, invite conversation and the free flow of ideas in your safety meetings. Encourage members to discuss the topic at hand, how the principles can be implemented effectively in your workplace, and how these steps contribute to your overall safety goals. By actively tying your safety topics to your goals, you are more likely to get better buy-in when those safety measures are implemented.
Invite special guests to present topics when possible. Bringing someone from outside the company to your safety meeting allows your committee to get a fresh perspective on topics. Particularly when you’re discussing less common or involved topics, outside experts can lend an air of authority that an internal employee cannot match.
Personal stories
Encourage committee members to share their own experiences and thoughts on safety topics. By talking to attendees and demonstrating that their opinions and experiences matter, you create more engagement and buy-in than can be achieved through traditional lecture style meetings.
While it is important to discuss incidents that may have occurred since your last meeting, try not to dwell on singular bad events. Hold a brief discussion of the incident, then move on to address steps or measures that can be implemented that can prevent the reoccurrence of the incident.
Safety and Sheakley
Keeping your workforce safe is priority one for your company. Sheakley can help you develop strategies to allow you to have more effective safety meetings and provide assistance with training programs to help you achieve your safety goals. Sheakley’s Workforce Management Services experts provide complete safety resources for your company. Register today for safety trainings offered by your partners at Sheakley to help keep your staff aware of the latest standards and protocols. Our experts are here to keep your employees and your business safe.
Get your free safety consultation today with an expert from Sheakley. Stay up-to-date on all things Sheakley by subscribing to our blog and following us on social media. What are some strategies you utilize to make sure you have effective safety meetings? Join in the discussion by commenting below.
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