The Heat Is On

Anyone who conducts Safety Culture Climate Reports – as we at 2macs do – will tell you that it’s a worthwhile temperature check but it is really quite a labour-intensive operation. Lots of questions, lots of staff engagement and even more data inputting, followed by time analysing the ensuing figures and then compiling the final report, complete with a headline version and recommendations. And people think that everything we do is bringing the fun into training and conferences…hmm…we do the data bit too!

In between the bigger event of an actual Culture survey, you can get a lot of ‘data’ by simply going onto a worksite and walking around with your eyes open. In short, when we’re in a live working environment and see – as we sometimes do, especially on these hot summer days – much of the workforce walking around wearing incorrect or incomplete PPE, this gives a pretty strong indication of where our clients are in terms of their safety culture development. In short, the less adherence to PPE we see, the more work we have to do. It’s an unfairly broad brush I’m using here, but I’m sure you can see what I’m poking at. Fact is, PPE non-adherence has been an issue as long as PPE has existed. 

So why do some companies, when we visit their sites, command full adherence, with no excuses, while others are…..shall we say less even? I’m afraid the answer is pretty simple: some organisations demand adherence with no exceptions and follow it through with strong, simple, visual messaging plus supervisors who make it just an everyday minimum standard. “If you want to work with us – and we’d love to have you, you work to our high safety standards.” It really is that simple.

Now there are obviously going to be occasional difficulties. Take this current hot weather. Manual, outdoor workers have my full sympathy in the heat. It’s up to us to properly engage with our people, and let’s face it, they are our best asset. We need to listen and work with them to come up with solutions – be that more short breaks, improved welfare facilities, summer versions of hi-viz etc. But when all’s said and done, front line leaders need to set high safety standards and stick to them – every day. And if leaders are finding it challenging, then they need support - from their managers, their safety leaders or in terms of extra training to develop the skills and confidence to properly engage their team members.

If we care about keeping our people visible and safe during the colder months, then we care in the hotter months too. 

Keeping our people safe. All day, every day.

Harry is Head of Behavioural Safety and can be contacted on harry@2macs.com