Forming Good Habits

Building a New Safety Habit: Start Small, Stay Consistent

When most people think about safety, they picture rules, checklists, PPE… all the serious stuff. And yes, that’s part of it - but building a real safety habit is more like learning a new routine than memorising a rulebook. It’s something you weave into your day bit by bit, until it just feels natural.

The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your whole life to make a difference. Small, consistent actions can have a surprisingly big impact.

Start With One Simple Behaviour
A lot of us try to make big changes all at once, but real habits stick when you start small. Pick just one thing you can do every day - mindfully putting on your PPE, pausing for a quick look around before starting a task, or taking ten seconds to run through the risks. These tiny choices soon add up, and before you know it, you’ve built something solid.

Make It Easy (and Hard to Miss!)
We all gravitate towards the things that fit nicely into our routine. So if you want a habit to last, remove the barriers. Keep your safety gear where you’ll naturally reach for it. Stick a reminder on your workstation. Set a quick phone alert if that helps. When the habit becomes easy to start, it becomes easy to keep.

Link It to Something You Already Do
One of the simplest tricks is to attach your new safety habit to something you’re already in the rhythm of doing. For example:

After you lace up your boots, check your PPE.
Before you switch on equipment, do a quick hazard scan.
When your new habit piggybacks on an existing one, it starts to feel automatic rather than another “extra” thing to remember.
Celebrate the Small Wins
Every time you make a safer choice, acknowledge it - even if it seems minor. Little wins really do build momentum. And if you’re working with others, share what you’re doing. Safety has a funny way of catching on when people see it modelled openly and consistently.

Be Patient With Yourself
Like any new habit, there’ll be days when you forget or slip back into old routines. That’s completely normal. What matters is picking it up again the next time. Stick with it, and eventually it becomes second nature.

At the end of the day, safe behaviours aren’t just tasks to tick off - they’re investments in your wellbeing and the people around you. One small habit really can make a big difference.

Shaun Curry specialises in Behavioural Safety, you can get in touch with him via shaun@2macs.com