Having a company culture that values safety is a common trait among successful motor carriers. Culture defines an organization, and typically, motor carriers that value safety experience lower employee turnover, higher productivity, improved customer service, and decreased vehicle accidents and work-related injuries.
Selecting and retaining the right workers is one critical component to building this culture because safety-minded individuals practice safety and set a strong example for others. Here are five more tips for creating a safety-minded workforce.
GIVE SELECTION DUE DILIGENCE
Evaluate how candidates “show up” to work during the selection process. Specifically, do they approach every task with safety in mind? Pre-trip inspections and road testing are two hands-on ways to observe candidates. Also, asking safety and compliance-related questions during interviews and conducting background checks may provide a pretty good idea of how well a candidate will fit into your culture.
PROVIDE SAFETY TRAINING
Culture is not what you do but how you do it. Consider providing safety training in new employee orientation, this can help you create the expectation up front that employees are responsible for performing safely and reporting unsafe conditions to management. This training can be followed up during onboarding when new employees receive job-specific training. Mentoring and ongoing safety training are additional ways to keep safety at the forefront of all employees’ minds.
PROMOTE ACCOUNTABILITY
Consider measuring safety performance across the company. If safety is a core value, then it should be evident in every aspect of your operations. For example, monitoring drivers’ motor vehicle records, conducting facility inspections, and tracking accidents, injuries, and near misses are ways to evaluate performance and identify opportunities for coaching and training.
RECOGNIZE AND REWARD SAFE BEHAVIOR
Recognizing and rewarding employees for safe behavior can help reinforce a safety-minded culture. One way to accomplish this goal is utilizing a formal program, such as Great West’s Safety Awards programs. Likewise, informal methods, such as verbal praise, can be meaningful to workers. By publicly acknowledging safe behavior, leaders visibly demonstrate their support for everyone’s contributions.
SOLICIT EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK
Soliciting employee feedback on safety-related issues is a great way to identify areas for improvement. It also demonstrates to employees that their safety concerns are valued; listening to employee concerns will be appreciated and could help improve employee retention.
Note: These lists are not intended to be all-inclusive.
CALL TO ACTION
- Consider conducting road tests and background checks on all driver applicants.
The information in this article is provided as a courtesy of Great West Casualty Company and is part of the Value-Driven® Company program. Value-Driven Company was created to help educate and inform insureds so they can make better decisions, build a culture that values safety, and manage risk more effectively. To see what additional resources Great West Casualty Company can provide for its insureds, please contact your safety representative, or click below to find an agent.
© Great West Casualty Company 2024. The material in this publication is the property of Great West Casualty Company unless otherwise noted and may not be reproduced without its written consent by any person other than a current insured of Great West Casualty Company for business purposes. Insured should attribute use as follows: “© Great West Casualty Company 2018. Used with permission by Great West Casualty Company.”
This material is intended to be a broad overview of the subject matter and is provided for informational purposes only. Great West Casualty Company does not provide legal advice to its insureds, nor does it advise insureds on employment-related issues. Therefore, the subject matter is not intended to serve as legal or employment advice for any issue(s) that may arise in the operations of its insureds. Legal advice should always be sought from the insured’s legal counsel. Great West Casualty Company shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, action, or inaction alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the information contained herein.
