Why you need recurring safety meetings
April 13, 2022
By Joseph Solheid, QSSP | Director of Safety Sales
By Joseph Solheid, QSSP | Director of Safety Sales
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March is Ladder Safety Month. June is National Safety Month. September is National Preparedness Month.
It’s great that EHS professionals are encouraged to share materials and hold events at specific times. But safety doesn’t sleep. It’s a 24/7/365 concern. At Fastenal, we believe improvements in employee safety and well-being come from focusing on PSIFs. All Potential Serious Injuries or Fatalities can be avoided. And to get to zero incidents, it starts with awareness around your most impactful scenarios. This requires regular, consistent, and meaningful safety meetings in the workplace. Prevention is the foundation of every safety program, and scheduled events oriented around safety topics (focused on preventing the bad things from happening) are a tool you can use to protect workers no matter the industry. Benefits of frequent safety meetings Provide regular opportunities for communication – EHS managers need to have their fingers on the pulse of operations as well as any evolution in the business. Having a weekly or monthly meeting offers workers a chance to share concerns and gives safety professionals and employees a place to communicate observations. Just like with any other relationship, consistency produces familiarity and trust. The more familiar your team is with their safety and your organization’s direction, the more likely they are to share, absorb, and act on information. Establish best practices and expectations – A safety training video during onboarding and posters hanging in the workspace have their benefits, but they also have limitations. Regular safety meetings allow for updates and refreshers on things like best practices and expectations. Whether it’s debriefing a previous near-miss or a new regulation, a consistent communication setting keeps the important aspects of safety at the front of everyone’s mind. Highlight most-frequent concerns – Although there are a wide array of potential safety topics, workers consistently face the same dangers day after day. Facing familiarity, safety professionals need to be sure team members don’t get complacent. Regular safety events are perfect for reminding personnel about the most frequently cited concerns. Additionally, regularly meetings can be an extra opportunity to be sure the correct PPE is being used and that risk mitigation systems are in place and working. Get started Select a day – Determine the best day to hold your safety meeting. Maybe it’s Mondays after the weekend or on Wednesdays as a mid-week reminder. Whatever day you chose, get it on the calendar for all to see. Create an agenda – Create a format and agenda that is clear and actionable for your team. Mixing reminders with demonstrations and news can keep attendees’ attention. Be consistent – Just like a TV show or podcast, regular repetition enables adoption. Knowing that the safety meeting occurs on this date, at this time will help your team add it into their routine. The next step Schedule a recurring safety event for your workspace – monthly, weekly. As you build your safety program, feel free to reach out to Fastenal’s Safety Experts. We assist EHS professionals in building their programs, provide expert product solutions, and are ready to answer any questions you might have. Vertical Divider
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Contact us at 1-833-FNL-Safe (365-7233) or SafetyQuestions@Fastenal.com
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