Why talking to your employees can improve your workplace health and safety

Understanding your workplace health and safety by understanding your employees’ thoughts and needs. 

Are you talking to your employees about how to improve your health and safety? 

The importance of health and safety in the workplace should not be overlooked. It’s not uncommon for businesses to see health and safety regulations as a box ticking exercise, but this simply is not the case. 

With 1.8 million employees suffering workplace illnesses in 2021-22 (source), health and safety must be a priority for businesses across the UK. 

So, how can businesses better prioritise health and safety? 

Answer: By listening to their employees. 

HSE (Health and Safety Executive) say that workplaces where employees are involved in health and safety decision making are overall safer and healthier. It’s a simple solution to a complicated problem, and we support it. 

How does it help? 

We all know that talking, listening and communicating helps the workplace to run smoother, and the same goes for health and safety. 

By simply opening discussions with your employees, you can:

• Reduce ill health and the impact of this to your workplace 
• Reduce accidents 
• Come to collective solutions for problems 
• Develop a positive health and safety management system 
• Create a healthy culture 
• Discover improvements to efficiency, quality, and productivity 
• Comply with legal requirements
• Allow your employees to voice their concerns

Why else is it important to listen to your employees? 

It shows you value them 

Your employees are valuable, and they should be treated so. 

People who feel valued and listened to when making decisions play a large role in a high-performance workplace. This empowerment and respect not only shows that you value them as a member of your team, but also proves that you truly care about their health and safety within the workplace. 

It builds trust 

If someone is looking out for your best interest - whether that be in the workplace or not - you’re much more likely to trust the things they say. Therefore, if an employee trusts that an employer truly has their best interests at heart, the employee is much more likely to follow and trust the safety procedures in place. 

Open communication is key to building trust. Employees will trust that their health and safety is being prioritised, and that employees have trusted company leaders who will take their concerns seriously. 

It helps business reputation 

Recent news stories of organisations ignoring employee health and safety concerns - for instance, Amazon’s ergonomic hazards violations that landed them with a total of £49,542 ($60,269) in proposed penalties - should be a warning to businesses everywhere. 

These cases are a clear example of health and safety being ignored, which then impacts both the lives of the employees, and the reputation of the business. 

It benefits mental health and wellbeing 

The duty of care of company leaders extends beyond just physical health and safety, with mental health and wellbeing also needing sufficient attention.

In order to identify mental health challenges that will affect employees either in the short or long term, such as stress, overloading, or anxiety, communication is a must. Therefore, it is crucial that employers are opening conversations and actively encouraging employees to give feedback on anything health and safety related. 

It gauges employee attitudes 

Unsure if your staff are taking health and safety seriously? Chat to them. 

The more an employer speaks to their employees, the more they will understand the overall attitude towards health and safety. They’ll discover if health and safety is being prioritised or if it’s being ignored, and they’ll gain an understanding of whether or not their staff feel safe at work. 

This information is crucial when it comes to assessing workplace safety and any potential changes that may need to be carried out. 

Other benefits of listening to your employees: 

• Greater awareness of workplace risks throughout the business
• Better control of workplace risks 
• A more positive health and safety climate

Employer responsibility 

Although employees have a degree of responsibility for a workplace’s health and safety - for example, when reporting issues - it is the employer who must ensure the workplace is suitable to work in. 

If you’re an organisation who would like to chat more about how you can help ensure your workplace is a safe working environment, please send an email to clive@cthealthandsafety.com or call Clive on 07956 074798. 

Clive will offer bespoke advice and guidance that's relevant to your organisation.