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Safety Ideas
I am excited today, because one of my workers came to me with an excellent idea. He invented a way to reduce work at height risks in the office by replacing some overhead equipment with a more ergonomic solution. Do you get many ideas from your employees? To me, they are one of the best signs of healthy working relationships. Well, definitely a better sign than a number of posters with corporate values on your walls. If you don't get enough safety ideas from your team, ask yourself the questions below. What is your first reaction to new ideas? Is it a heartfelt "thank you" or a cold "send me a memo, I will look when I have time"? How are the safety ideas implemented? Does it happen in an observable timeframe? Is there a known way to suggest new ideas? This can be a suggestion box which is regularly reviewed, or a Safety Committee with workers' representatives, or any other process suitable for your organisation. Are any awards available for truly great ideas? Some of them will save your company money and / or trouble, so it is fair to share some of the gains. Are your workers trained enough to see opportunities for improvement? Safety knowledge is required to identify potential for risk reduction. And finally, what happens to "dumb" ideas? You will be inclined to just ignore them. Please don't! Speak to the author, explain why the idea cannot be implemented and how it can be improved. You don't want your teammates to be discouraged by silence. What safety ideas do you have?