Safety Culture Assessments
Why is a Safety Climate Assessment necessary?
Safety Climate is the accumulation of beliefs, values, and perceptions about safety that are shared within a specific group at any given time. (Zohar, 1980 and Cooper, 2004). The Safety Climate of an organisation reveals the beliefs, values and perceptions that employees have with regards to the safety culture and safety management in the organisation.
These beliefs and perceptions that employees have drive their behaviour. When employees have negative or incorrect beliefs and perceptions they will be more likely to take risks and will normally not comply. It is therefore critical that organisations are aware of the employees' beliefs and perceptions in order to correct any negative or incorrect beliefs and perceptions.
Infinity Risk Solutions conduct Safety Climate Assessments that consist of:
Infinity Risk Solutions will provide the organisation with a detailed feedback report and will facilitate employees to compile an Alignment strategy. The Alignment strategy is an action plan that needs to be implemented that will stipulate what behaviours and actions are needed to correct any negative or incorrect perceptions.
The Safety Climate Assessment will,
The Alignment strategy will,
These beliefs and perceptions that employees have drive their behaviour. When employees have negative or incorrect beliefs and perceptions they will be more likely to take risks and will normally not comply. It is therefore critical that organisations are aware of the employees' beliefs and perceptions in order to correct any negative or incorrect beliefs and perceptions.
Infinity Risk Solutions conduct Safety Climate Assessments that consist of:
- Safety Climate surveys
- One on one interviews
- Analyses of incident statistics
Infinity Risk Solutions will provide the organisation with a detailed feedback report and will facilitate employees to compile an Alignment strategy. The Alignment strategy is an action plan that needs to be implemented that will stipulate what behaviours and actions are needed to correct any negative or incorrect perceptions.
The Safety Climate Assessment will,
- inform management of the beliefs and perceptions employees have in terms of safety.
- allow management to identify and pinpoint areas of concern in terms of safety that need to be addressed.
- allow management to identify areas where the workforce are not aligned with organisational requirements.
- provide management with possible reasons, why the employees' beliefs and perceptions are not aligned.
The Alignment strategy will,
- allow employees to make suggestions on how negative perceptions and beliefs can be corrected.
- provide management and employees with an action plan to rectify negative beliefs and perceptions.
- create ownership in terms of safety within employees.
- increase employees' compliance with safety requirements.
Do beliefs & perceptions really drive behaviour ?
Yes it does!
If an employee for example belief that management value production more than safety they will be inclined to take short cuts if they belief it will improve production. They will not consider their own safety or that of others in order to maximise production.
If an employee for example belief that management value production more than safety they will be inclined to take short cuts if they belief it will improve production. They will not consider their own safety or that of others in order to maximise production.
The beliefs & perceptions of employees do not reflect the real situation!
It is true that employees' beliefs and perceptions do not always reflect the true situation on site or in the organisation. This is however irrelevant since the employees' belief and perceptions are their truth. It is true for them and that is how they experience the situation.
Why do the employees develop the alignment strategy ? Should't management do it ?
It is the employees who have these perceptions and beliefs. They know what created these negative beliefs and perceptions and therefore they will know how to correct it. Management will not know why employees have certain beliefs or perceptions, and therefore they will find it difficult to know what is required to correct these beliefs and perceptions.
It is also the first step in creating ownership. Employees will believe that they have the power and ability to change and improve their safety and work environment.
It is also the first step in creating ownership. Employees will believe that they have the power and ability to change and improve their safety and work environment.
