Why Safety Culture Matters
A strong safety culture is more than just regulatory compliance. It is also about actively engaging employees, contractors, and suppliers in workplace safety to reduce incidents, improve morale, and enhance business resilience.
Despite clear guidelines such as ISO 45001:2018 and the HSE’s Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations, many organizations struggle to engage their workforce in safety initiatives. Without active participation, safety policies often become ineffective.
Studies indicate that organizations with robust safety cultures experience significantly fewer safety incidents compared to those lacking structured safety engagement programs. For instance, a Gallup study shows that highly engaged workplaces can see up to a 70% reduction in safety incidents.
Organizations that work with multiple contractors and suppliers also need to ensure contractor safety aligns with their internal standards. A lack of consistency in supplier health and safety compliance increases risk across the entire supply chain. Businesses can address this challenge by prequalifying suppliers and ensuring they meet international safety standards.
Read More: How to Monitor Health and Safety Compliance in Your Supply Chain
This guide offers practical, evidence-based strategies for HSEQ leaders to build a strong safety culture, ensuring that employees, contractors, and suppliers actively contribute to workplace safety.
Step 1: Leadership Commitment and Clear Communication
A strong safety culture starts with visible leadership commitment. When HSEQ leaders and executives actively promote and participate in safety initiatives, employees and suppliers are more likely to follow suit. Without leadership involvement, safety programs risk becoming a box-ticking exercise rather than an integral part of workplace operations.
The Gallup study shows that employees in companies with clear safety rules are 2.7 times more likely to follow procedures. This is true compared to those in companies where safety communication is not consistent.
Key Actions for HSEQ Leaders:
- Integrate safety into company values – Ensure safety is not just a compliance requirement but a core business priority.
- Lead by example – Executives and managers should actively follow and promote safety measures by attending safety briefings, wearing PPE, and prioritizing safety discussions.
- Communicate safety expectations clearly – Use regular safety briefings, dashboards, and real-world data to reinforce safety goals.
- Set measurable safety KPIs – Align safety performance with business goals by tracking key indicators such as near-miss reports and participation in safety engagement programs.
Step 2: Building a Safety-First Mindset Across the Workforce and Supply Chain
Creating a strong safety culture is not just about training employees—it requires continuous engagement, clear accountability, and supplier alignment. Many organizations struggle to connect safety policies with daily operations, leading to inconsistent practices across teams and contractors
Why Safety Engagement Matters Across the Business
- Consistent safety engagement reduces workplace incidents – Studies show that companies with strong safety cultures report better incident prevention and compliance outcomes.
- Safety awareness must extend beyond internal teams – Contractors and suppliers must also align with company safety standards to prevent supply chain risks.
Key Strategies for Developing a Safety-First Culture
Embed Safety in Every Role
Safety should not be the responsibility of just the HSEQ team. All leaders, managers, suppliers, and employees must all play a role in maintaining workplace safety. Organizations that regularly reinforce safety expectations see higher compliance rates and lower incident levels.
Extend Safety Culture to Suppliers
Many businesses focus on internal safety programs but fail to engage their supply chain. Working with pre-qualified suppliers that meet industry safety standards ensures that contractor safety aligns with internal risk management policies.
Use Data to Drive Proactive Risk Management
Reactive safety programs only address problems after an incident. By leveraging risk safety data, companies can predict potential risks, ensuring early intervention before issues escalate.
Step 3: Encouraging Two-Way Communication and Employee Involvement
A strong safety culture is not built through top-down policies alone. Employees, contractors, and suppliers must feel empowered to contribute to workplace safety efforts. However, many organizations struggle with low engagement because workers and suppliers do not see how their input influences real safety improvements.
Why Two-Way Communication Matters
- Organizations that cultivate a positive safety culture often experience reduced accident and injury rates.
- Engaged employees are significantly less likely to have safety-related incidents.
- Encouraging open safety reporting and involving employees in safety discussions can lead to earlier risk identification, addressing potential hazards before they escalate.
Key Strategies to Improve Safety Communication
Encourage Open Safety Reporting Across Employees and Suppliers
Many employees and contractors hesitate to report safety concerns due to fear of blame. Establishing anonymous reporting mechanisms and ensuring non-retaliation policies fosters greater participation in workplace safety discussions.
Hold Safety Discussions Across All Levels
Safety meetings and toolbox talks should provide employees and suppliers with real opportunities to contribute ideas and share experiences.
Recognize and Reward Safety Engagement
- Implement safety leaderboards for high-performing teams or contractors.
- Provide incentives for workers and suppliers who actively contribute to safety improvements.
- Publicly recognize teams that help identify and eliminate risks.
Supplier Engagement in Safety Conversations
HSEQ leaders must ensure that supplier safety standards align with internal policies. Partnering with verified suppliers that meet strict HSEQ compliance benchmarks ensures higher engagement and reduced risk across the entire supply chain.
Further Reading: How to Overcome Supplier Engagement Challenges in Risk Management
Step 4: Integrating Safety into Daily Operations and Leveraging Data for Continuous Improvement
Embedding safety into daily operations ensures that it becomes a natural part of every task, decision, and supplier relationship. A strong safety culture is not just about training or policies. It requires real-time data, proactive risk management, and supplier alignment to maintain workplace safety effectively.
How to Embed Safety into Daily Operations
- Align Safety with Business Goals – Safety should be integrated into daily KPIs, procurement decisions, and performance metrics rather than being treated as a separate function.
- Extend Safety Culture to Suppliers and Contractors – Prequalifying suppliers ensures they meet contractor safety and HSEQ compliance standards before working on-site.
Read More: Supply Chain Resilience with The Achilles Platform
- Use Real-Time Data to Identify and Address Risks – Businesses that use predictive safety analytics can spot trends, prevent accidents, and improve compliance faster than those relying on retrospective reporting.
- Apply the Hierarchy of Controls – Focusing on elimination, substitution, engineering controls, and administrative measures ensures effective risk reduction.
- Track and Measure Safety Performance – Regular safety audits and supplier assessments help organizations continuously refine their health and safety programs.
Further Reading: How to Conduct a Health and Safety Audit
Building a Safety Culture with Achilles
Developing a strong safety culture is about so much more than policies or training. It’s about proactive leadership, supplier engagement, and leveraging data-driven insights to improve workplace safety.
Achilles supports businesses by:
- Helping organizations prequalify suppliers to meet global safety standards.
- Providing risk management tools for real-time contractor safety insights.
- Enabling continuous improvement through structured safety audits and benchmarking.
By embedding safety into daily operations, supplier relationships, and data-driven decisions, organizations can reduce risks, improve compliance, and foster a culture where workplace safety is a shared responsibility.
