O’Brien’s Director of Safety, Rian Martinsen, and General Superintendent, Chris Mallett, at the Astoria Public Library Renovation.
In the previous Safety Culture blog post we discussed why trust is important, and how vital it is to the reporting of safety issues. If you feel comfortable enough to report, you should also know that when you don’t report safety issues, you’re allowing that unsafe activity to continue, which can lead to an accident, injury, or possibly even death. We trust that you will report safety issues that you see, and you trust that we will take action to prevent it from happening again.
Eliminating the Fear of Retaliation for Reporting
Some organizations will blame the individual instead of searching for all the factors that lead to an accident. Instead of trying to learn and grow from the accident, companies conduct a witch hunt to see who is at fault. Personal accountability is essential, but making accidents the sole responsibility of the individual without considering contributing factors is a toxic practice that kills employee trust.
In that environment, workers become fearful of safety and the repercussions if they are involved in an accident. Instead of the open and honest communication about safety that spurs continuous improvement, it closes people off and stifles participation.
In contrast, when you demonstrate to workers that you view accidents as learning opportunities and a chance to grow and become better, their attitudes can shift. Treating people with kindness and consideration is paramount. Focusing on continuous organizational improvement also shows workers that it is not about blaming or firing people if they get hurt. It is about creating a safer workplace for everyone.
For example, reporting near misses is a crucial component of workplace safety because it helps identify potential hazards before they escalate into serious accidents. Near misses are incidents where no one is injured, but the circumstances suggest that an injury could have occurred. By documenting and analyzing these events, we can uncover patterns, address unsafe conditions, and implement corrective actions to prevent future incidents. Without reporting near misses, hazardous situations may continue unnoticed, increasing the risk of severe injuries over time. Reporting these near misses requires trust and is something that should be encouraged through collaboration, communication, and empowering everyone on the jobsite to have a voice.
“ If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep getting what we’re getting ”
Stephen Covey
Practicing What You Preach
Nothing ruins employee trust faster than management that says one thing and then does another. For example, most organizations have endless policies and procedures that they push on employees, but it is all just words in a document. They do not abide by their own rules.
They have employees sit through hours of safety training to learn how to do it correctly and then send them to the field where they do it in the most cost-effective and convenient manner. How can an employee trust an organization and its commitment to keeping them safe when they operate like this?
Also, management must always lead by example; if a rule is good enough for one person, it is good enough for everyone. When organizations strictly enforce specific regulations for some, but not everyone, it can leave a bad taste in people’s mouths. If it is required to wear PPE to enter the job site, everyone from the CEO to the laborers must be held responsible for wearing that PPE.
Build Rapport for Honest Communication Around Safety
People do not trust those that they do not know. That is why building familiarity and rapport with everyone is crucial to building trust. So go where the work is, talk with your crews, and get to know them. Show them that you are there to listen and to help.
“ When I first went to work as a safety manager for an electrical contractor, my level of electrical knowledge was minimal; I had severe imposter syndrome and feared that my lack of knowledge could get someone hurt. Yes, I knew OSHA regulation, but the National Electrical Code (NEC) was relatively foreign to me at that time. By approaching the crews as they were doing work and saying, ‘What are you doing?’ and ‘What can I do?’ etc., not only gave me the opportunity to learn more about the electrical trade, but I learned about each of the employees, built rapport, and gained their trust. I was relieved at how eager they were to tell me about what they were doing, and they were even more excited when I offered to help; I learned so much during that time. One of the most valuable lessons I took away was that by asking them about their tasks I showed vulnerability, and I trusted them to properly teach me, which formed a valuable relationship of mutual trust. ”
Rian Martinsen, Director of Safety at O’Brien
When you build rapport and show that you genuinely care for their well-being, you build trust, and workers are more likely to speak with you candidly about their job and risks.
Following Through with What You Say
Workers that report safety issues, but do not see anything change, will lose trust in the process. Therefore, if someone brings a safety issue to your attention, show the individual that you are trying your best to fix it. Also, it is a good idea to share improvements to safety to remind employees that their efforts are worth it, that things are getting better, and that they can trust the process because it works.
Also, set clear expectations for safety, and how non-compliance is handled. Ensure those rules are not nit-picky but vital things that can seriously affect worker and organizational health and safety. Then, assure all leadership and staff members consistently uphold those rules. If you do it sometimes, and not with every employee, you will lose worker trust. Consistency is essential.