Safety Culture and Staff Retention

As a leader within an organisation, it matters what you do and don’t do. What you do, what you challenge and, often, what you fail to challenge all shapes the culture of the organisation. Safety culture within an organisation has been dubbed:

“the way that things are done around here”

As a leader, you should think about the way that things are done around here. Do work practices conform with the that you think that things are done, or even with the way you think they should be done? Looking into “how things are done” can reveal a reality gap within your organisation.

“The culture of the organisation is shaped by the worst behaviour that the leader is willing to tolerate”

As a quick thought experiment, consider the way that those who report to you (and so are influenced by you) would respond to the following:

The company I work for has a good safety culture because …

• Managers regularly visit the workplace and discuss safety matters with the workforce
• The company gives regular, clear information on safety matters
• We can raise a safety concern, knowing the business take it seriously, and they will tell us what they are doing about it
• Safety is always the company’s top priority; we can stop a job if we don’t feel safe
• The company investigates all accidents and near misses, does something about it and gives feedback
• The company keeps up to date with new ideas on safety
• We can get safety equipment and training if needed – the budget for this seems about right
• Everyone is included in decisions affecting safety and are regularly asked for input
• It’s rare for anyone here to take shortcuts or unnecessary risks
• We can be open and honest about safety: the company doesn’t simply find someone to blame
• Morale is generally high

If you concluded that they could not fully endorse every statement, now is the time to think about doing something differently.

Staff retention has been linked to many factors, including safety culture [ref]. We can work with you and help you to understand and improve the safety culture within your organisation.

Please contact and see how we can assist you.