Creating a safe workplace for your valued team is something that requires a multi-faceted approach, and it’s not a case of ‘Tick and Flick’. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for safety in the workplace, and we are seeing more and more businesses utilising creative solutions for both common and unique safety challenges.
The real trick to implementing creative solutions is to ensure that they address the core issue. This requires a fundamental understanding of the risks and hazards of the business and the particular process(es) being addressed.
In this post, we look at some of the basics you should consider before implementing your creative solutions and how Smart Safety Solutions can help you.
Creating a Naturally Functioning Safety Culture
The goal is to make safety a natural part of your work processes, so while you should definitely look into the most up-to-date ways to educate, inform and protect your workers, remember to start with the vital foundations for success.
This needs to be underpinned by robust risk and hazard assessments and worker consultation. If you cut corners and skip straight to the solution, no matter how standard or creative, implementation and efficiency – and therefore safety – are going to be compromised.
With a solid understanding of what is required and where you are currently, you can begin to move your team towards a lived experience of safety at work. With our help, you can begin to create a workplace culture where it becomes natural to think outside the box to enhance the safety of every team member.
Requirements for Policy Drafting and Implementation Services in NZ
While creating a bank of documents that detail your policies and procedures can feel daunting, it really is of paramount importance and is one of the good practice steps that you can undertake to show you are meeting your due diligence requirements under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
However, you should clearly understand what processes and procedures must be written up before you start. Only after that can you start to assemble a system that will ultimately meet your company’s needs.
The easy way around investing the real time and energy it takes to get these documents in order is to outsource them to the experts at Smart Safety Solutions. We can assess your business and provide guidance and what is required for your specific case – and we can write the documents for you if you want to be sure you are getting it right.
Creative Solutions & Safety
Once you have your documents written up, you can afford to think outside the box. As your business evolves and grows, it’s important to check back in, innovate and adopt creative approaches that account for your business’s specific risks and hazards and the impact on the people who spend time there.
So, what do creative solutions for common safety challenges look like? Read on as we chat through a couple of ways you can think outside the box to build an effective safety culture that will help minimise workplace safety incidents.
Interactive Training & Gamification
A key creative approach to transforming mundane safety training into impactful and engaging activities is to connect with interactive training programs and gamification techniques. This approach can create an informative experience that is more likely to effect lasting change in your organisation.
You could incorporate quizzes that could be worked through in teams, and you can offer prizes or rewards. Simulations can also motivate and engage your employees in ways that have been proven to help people retain crucial safety information and apply it in real-world scenarios.
These techniques work both as an educational tool and a team-building exercise, and a tight team is a team that looks out for each other on the shop floor.
Innovations in Technology
NZ businesses now have access to a whole raft of creative technologies that can help you provide practical innovations that will allow you to identify and control risks within your business.
These might include AI tech that examines work behaviour and sensors that can detect the most subtle changes in environmental conditions and swiftly alert the appropriate personnel member. Your team may benefit from devices worn on the body. You could utilise body cams, lone worker devices that automatically notify of a fall, trip or slip – or helmet cams that allow targeted safety direction for workers in remote situations, just to name a few.
Creating a Naturally Functioning Safety Culture
The goal is to make safety a natural part of your work processes, so while you should definitely look into the most up-to-date ways to educate, inform and protect your workers, remember to start with the vital foundations for success.
Contact Us
If you are ready to start at the base and build a bank of safety documents written to address the specific requirements of the activities at your worksite – or out in the field – get in touch today.
At Smart Safety Solutions, our goal is to make safety simpler. We can assess, guide and help you implement in-the-box and out-of-the-box safety solutions for your business – call now to access our policy drafting and implementation services NZ-wide.