For most companies, employee safety is a top priority. But, communicating your safety guidelines in a way that gets employee’s attention and fosters engagement can be a challenge. Additionally, most companies have employees who work in various ways – some may sit at a computer all day with access to email, while others work outside the traditional office on a job site. With that in mind, you need to consider multiple, creative ways to communicate your company’s important safety guidelines.

• Workplace Signage
  Post a sign where employees clock in, in break rooms, restrooms, around equipment and wherever else employees frequently congregate. Be creative and use bold colors and simple visuals to help reinforce standards.
• Reward Safe Behavior
  Keep $5 or $10 gift cards, company logoed items or Kudos cards available and acknowledge and reward employees when you see them following safety guidelines. Not in the budget? Make it a designated month once a year instead of offering it year-round.
• Send an Email, eNewsletter or printed Newsletter
  If your employees have a company email address, send an email or eNewsletter outlining your safety standards at least once a month. For employees who don’t have email, a printed newsletter or flyer can be mailed to their home or be included in a paystub.
• Safety in Action Photos
  A picture is worth a thousand words! Make it perfectly clear what the expectations are by taking pictures of employees demonstrating these actions. Include these in your newsletters and emails. Or, take photos of incorrect safety actions and ask employees to identify what’s wrong in the picture.
• Meetings
  To ensure everyone gets the message, hold small-group meetings or online meetings that are mandatory for all employees. Make these meetings a part of the daily routine to review and discuss safety standards. Or, kick off all meetings with a safety tip of the day.
• Require Appropriate Training
  Sending people out untrained communicates that safety doesn’t matter. People learn more from the workplace culture than from posted signs. Create a culture of safety in the workplace by properly training your employees.
• Don’t Skimp on the Safety Supply Budget
  If you are buying the cheapest safety harnesses and glasses, that may be why your employees don’t want to wear them! Put an emphasis on safety by buying quality gear that people will want to wear.
• Share Case Studies or Incident Reports
  Put the reality behind the need for safety by sharing events about real people who have been affected by insufficient safety measures or solutions that helped save lives.
  
  These 8 tips can help your company establish a clear safety message. While it may take some time for everyone to learn and follow the rules, putting some of these ideas into practice will help create a safer work environment for everyone.