One of our clients, a large corporation, has adopted safety values rather than priorities. The difference between the two? Priorities change, values don’t. Every manager and worker is expected to live by these values as part of the company’s world-class safety program.
The values are on posters at their facilities and on 2-by-3-inch laminated cards distributed to employees. Here’s the list:
- “Safety first” is a Core Value at (Name of company).
- We believe that ALL incidents and injuries can be prevented.
- Safety is a personal responsibility. Management is accountable for results.
- Employee engagement and training is essential.
- Hazardous exposures can be eliminated or safeguarded.
- Prevention of incidents and injuries is the right thing to do and is good business.
Adopting safety values is a great foundation for a company safety program and other organizations may want to consider following suit. By expressing these ideas as core values, management underscores its commitment to safety and encourages employee engagement.
If you need advice on how to build these values into a practical safety program, give me a call, (513) 317-5644.
