Last week, we looked at the negative effects of change and their subsequent safety consequences. To reduce the risk of incidents, safety leaders need to address employees' attitudes towards change by identifying the negative influences and offering these employees information to eliminate or reduce stress-related reactions. This week, we'll look at some key strategies you can employ to minimize the risk of incidents during times of change.

Strengthen Your Safety Culture

A true safety culture exists when changes in attitudes and behaviors are sustained for an extended period of time and a genuine value for safety, health and the environment continues regardless of the internal and external circumstances. Accomplishing this requires consistent effort, empowered by an ongoing commitment by labor and management leadership.

Safety leaders must be skilled in coaching and counseling techniques to constructively lead and interact with employees. This is especially true during times of organizational change. Leadership must continually convey the message that all employees must adhere to safety, health and environmental requirements and procedures for their own well being and the well being of the company.

Communicate

We human beings usually deal well with crisis regardless of the consequences when presented with an immediate set of circumstances. What gets people upset and challenged is the unknown, based on incomplete or inaccurate information. Most people can deal effectively with 'black' or 'white' but 'gray' areas make us uncertain and unstable.

Even though employees may not like what they hear, clear, concise and accurate information can provide a stable enough environment to allow them to make choices that support their current reality and future. It is therefore essential for effective change management to conduct frequent and reliable communication meetings.

10 Strategies to Minimize Incidents

Safety leaders are in a position to educate, guide or persuade key influencers and decision-makers to take the actions necessary to ensure effective management of this turbulent time. Here are 10 key strategies you can suggest for safe transitions:

1. Hire out-placement services when downsizing.
2. Provide EAP services for work and personal problems.
3. Involve employees in identifying and solving unsafe and unworkable situations/conditions.
4. Give people control and power to make changes. Make sure the structure to approve and implement the changes works.
5. Provide leadership, management, coaching and counseling, and interpersonal skill training.
6. Ensure incentive systems/quotas are not supporting unsafe behaviors and stress.
7. Get upper management/corporate support and resources to improve unsafe and/or stressful situations/circumstances.
8. Have frequent communication meetings that relate to changes in the organization. Tell people the truth! Remember: people can handle the truth better than gray areas.
9. Train accident/incident investigation teams to handle incidents constructively.
10. Provide holistic stress management skills to all employees, including:
    • Stress reduction and relaxation.
    • Physical fitness.
    • Nutrition.
    • Time management.
    • Self-observation/management.
    • Assertiveness training.

Lastly, take care of yourself so you can remain balanced and effective during difficult and stressful times.

Conclusion

Change and stress are not all bad. Change can produce positive outcomes and stress can be used constructively. But even in growth periods, when business and profits are in an upward trend, stress and distractions can be high. Incidents can occur. Today, more than ever, effects of change and stress play a continuing role in safety, health and environmental performance. Safety leadership can encourage management to provide resources to assist all levels of personnel in learning to accept and deal constructively with both negative and positive changes.

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