World Day for Safety and Health at Work

April 28th is World Day for Safety and Health at Work. This international campaign
aims to “promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases
globally.”

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a public awareness campaign
designed to draw international attention to the scale of occupational health and
safety concerns in the workplace. It also discusses how fostering and establishing
a health and safety culture in the workplace may assist minimise the number of
work-related fatalities and injuries.

Many safety managers place a high priority on implementing safety standards,

training, and equipment. While health and safety controls are vital for a safe
workplace, they may not be as effective if employees do not follow them. The
cold, hard reality is that PPE that isn't worn is useless; training that isn't attended
to benefits no one; and protocols that aren't followed provide poor outcomes.
With all of this in mind, it is clear how critical it is to foster an atmosphere in
which employee engagement is prioritised. Listening is a really effective approach
to do this.

The importance of creating a culture of

health and safety at work
The World Day for Safety and Health at Work emphasises the need of having a
solid occupational health and safety system. Adequate health and safety
precautions in the workplace are critical for lowering the risk of harm and
controlling disease transmission. The World Day for Safety and Health at Work
also emphasises the significance of improving social dialogue in order to foster a
culture of safety and health.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), “around 2.9 million workers die every year due to
occupational accidents and diseases and at least 402 million people suffer from
non-fatal occupational injuries. Examining 41 pairs of specific risk factors and
health outcomes, the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates indicate that work-related
diseases were responsible for 81 percent of all work-related deaths, with deaths
due to occupational injuries accounting for the remaining 19 percent of work-
related death.”

Health and safety at work

Health & safety affects every business, regardless of size or sector. Whether
you’re in the construction or catering business, you need to comply with health &
safety legislation.

Today we shall focus on “Importance of Listening” in keeping us safe at

hazardous work places.

Listening = Increased Engagement

Unfortunately, workers and employees are less likely to take active roles in
workplace safety since they do not believe their feedback is respected. When
workplace safety managers and leaders simply use one-way communication
(talking and telling but never asking and listening), it can create a disengaged
environment. "The greatest method to make your staff feel important and
appreciated is to listen to them," according to a Business News Daily article on the
subject. When leaders are willing to listen to concerns and recommendations, it
fosters a culture of involvement and buy-in. When a result, as workers learn to
see themselves as an active part of the safety solution, they tend to become
champions for its implementation.

Listening = Clearer Insights

There is no substitute for experience, and this is especially true when it comes to
workplace safety. Listening to worker feedback can help you acquire key ideas
and fill gaps that would otherwise be ignored while developing a training
programme or producing a safety equipment list. Workers understand where
near misses occur better than anybody else since they utilise the equipment and
machines on a daily basis. It is possible to detect areas of distraction, exhaustion,
and general safety problems by taking the time to listen to their ideas and
remarks. Then address them as such. As gaps are filled, worker stress is
decreased, employee engagement grows, and safety is accomplished.

Listening = Better Reporting

If an employee does not perceive that their voice is important to management,
they may be reluctant to identify potential dangers, debate questionable
behaviours, or even report safety events. This can lead to underreporting,
particularly for near-misses and small incidents that do not need immediate
medical treatment. Workers who are well-trained, invested in the company's
safety, and have grown accustomed to being listened to by their safety manager,
on the other hand, are considerably more inclined to speak up when anything is
wrong. By fostering a listening culture, safety managers may improve overall
reporting accuracy and even be alerted to possible dangers in time to prevent
them from becoming a recorded incident.

Listening = Healthier Teams

Teamwork is essential in reducing accidents and increasing safety. When
individuals work together and see themselves as a cohesive unit, they are more
likely to watch out for and protect one another. Listening is an essential aspect of
fostering strong professional relationships and cooperation. When managers
consciously take measures to become excellent listeners, it stimulates dialogue
and positions employees to feel more like a confident team participant rather
than a passive observer. Listening provides a healthy avenue for a team's
challenges, thoughts, and critiques to be addressed, and achievements to be
appreciated. As teams become stronger over time, the consequence is a culture
that actually cares about one another's health and safety.

A Powerful Tool
Workplace safety is a complex issue that needs a multifaceted approach in order
to be effective. By incorporating listening into an existing program, it has the
potential to:

 Create opportunities for shared learning and community involvement

 Reduce the number of false assumptions and miscommunications
 Encourage accurate incident reporting and accident dialogue
 Promote engagement, as well as honesty, openness, and empathy
 Build workplace relationships and strengthen teams

While listening alone will not fix every problem or prevent every accident, it is a
strong tool that should be used as part of a comprehensive safety programme.