‘Mindful’ Health & Safety Culture: Personnel Mindset

Signs of a safety mindset among personnel.             

• They’re aware of their limitations
  • In companies with safety cultures, when personnel are tired, they take a break. If they are sick, injured, or mentally stressed on a particular day, they are honest about it and don’t put others at risk by trying to do a job they’re not up to. Even if they’re feeling great, they recognize when something’s beyond their ability to handle on their own, and they seek help.
  • The key is for personnel to be serious enough about safety that they are willing to immediately acknowledge any problems they’re having that could cause them to be unsafe. This is one of the areas in which management support is essential. Personnel must feel secure and comfortable in revealing their limitations; otherwise, they are likely to push ahead even if they know they’re not 100 percent.

• They report problems
  • Personnel who appreciate the value of safety won’t hesitate to report safety issues they see during operations. They will not only consider it an obligation, they will understand they are protecting people. As with self-reporting of personal limitations, management must make sure that personnel are commended—not disparaged—for reporting safety issues.

Takeaway

Companies that want to increase safety can’t ignore the attitude of personnel. Even with the best policies—and even with industry-proven tools for improving safety, a company won’t have a best-in-class safety program if personnel aren’t fully on board with the effort.