Having a company culture that values safety is a common trait among successful motor carriers. Culture defines an organization, and typically, motor carriers that value safety experience lower employee turnover, higher productivity, improved customer service, and decreased vehicle accidents and work-related injuries.
Selecting and retaining the right workers is one critical component to building this culture because safety-minded individuals practice safety and set a strong example for others. Here are five more tips for creating a safety-minded workforce.
Evaluate how candidates “show up” to work during the selection process. Specifically, do they approach every task with safety in mind? Pre-trip inspections and road testing are two hands-on ways to observe candidates. Also, asking safety and compliance-related questions during interviews and conducting background checks may provide a pretty good idea of how well a candidate will fit into your culture.
Culture is not what you do but how you do it. Consider providing safety training in new employee orientation, this can help you create the expectation up front that employees are responsible for performing safely and reporting unsafe conditions to management. This training can be followed up during onboarding when new employees receive job-specific training. Mentoring and ongoing safety training are additional ways to keep safety at the forefront of all employees’ minds.
Consider measuring safety performance across the company. If safety is a core value, then it should be evident in every aspect of your operations. For example, monitoring drivers’ motor vehicle records, conducting facility inspections, and tracking accidents, injuries, and near misses are ways to evaluate performance and identify opportunities for coaching and training.
Recognizing and rewarding employees for safe behavior can help reinforce a safety-minded culture. One way to accomplish this goal is utilizing a formal program, such as Great West’s Safety Awards programs. Likewise, informal methods, such as verbal praise, can be meaningful to workers. By publicly acknowledging safe behavior, leaders visibly demonstrate their support for everyone’s contributions.
Soliciting employee feedback on safety-related issues is a great way to identify areas for improvement. It also demonstrates to employees that their safety concerns are valued; listening to employee concerns will be appreciated and could help improve employee retention.
Note: These lists are not intended to be all-inclusive.
This material is intended to be a broad overview of the subject matter and is provided for informational purposes only. Joe Morten & Son, Inc. does not provide legal advice to its insureds or other parties, nor does it advise insureds or other parties on employment-related issues, therefore the subject matter is not intended to serve as legal or employment advice for any issue(s) that may arise in the operations of its insureds or other parties. Legal advice should always be sought from legal counsel. Joe Morten & Son, Inc. shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, action, or inaction alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the information contained herein. Reprinted with permission from Great West Casualty Company.