Mind the communication gap!
It’s time to have The Talk.
The conversation about #safety.
Now is the perfect time because it’s National #SafeWorkMonth.
And because safety is everyone’s business, even if you don’t wear high-vis and a hard hat.
High stakes but it’s not a game
Imagine: a team member notices a potential safety hazard but hesitates to speak up. Or someone misinterprets instructions, leading to an unsafe work practice. Or a crucial safety update doesn’t reach everyone because the channels aren’t understood.
These moments of silence or miscommunication can have a ripple effect and serious consequences.
Back to basics
At the elementary level: does everyone on your team know how to identify and report safety risks, including cyber and psychological ones?
And what to do when hazards become hairy scary actualities?
I’m talking about the forms, the chain of texts and phone calls, the who to tell and what to say, when and where.
Clear and concise communication is crucial in emergency situations.
Timely and accurate information saves lives.
And work. And money. And reputational butt.
Taking a team approach
At the next level: do your people realise and respect the reasons for the safety communication protocols?
When you know what matters to each person you’re responsible for, and how they like or don’t like to process information, you can create and deliver safety messages in ways that make sense to them.
It’s useful to know who the risk takers are and what their take is on safety, then see how that fits with the company policy and procedure (orange personalities).
Maybe engage your problem-solvers to come up with better ways to keep everyone alert to what might happen and what to do next (greens).
Have you asked your best communicators to keep the message meaningful (blues)?
The sticklers for rules and regulations (golds) are often assigned WHS roles but they’re not always the best people to cajole compliance.
Bridging the safety communication gap
Research into why some industries still bear enormous human and financial costs from unsafe work practices, despite advances in legislation, compliance and technology, revealed safety communication and commitment to matter significantly.
Frontiers in Public Health published a systematic literature review of 4 communication dimensions for Safety Week last year. It found that communication mechanisms, climate and satisfaction are major contributors to safety outcomes in the oil and gas industry.
Another study revealed that “safety communication partially mediates the association between safety culture and safety performance. Further, safety culture was found to have a significant and positive effect on safety performance.”
Safety communication is more than the exchange of information; it’s also about influencing behaviour and attitudes about workplace safety.
A report from Monash University’s Accident Research Centre and the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research drew attention to the critical need for value-based safety communication, whereby trust and respect support the translation of safety rules, requirements and regulations.
“Position descriptions outline the roles and responsibilities of supervisors in the safety management of workers as stipulated by OHS regulations, yet the process in which this information is translated to workers is often overlooked… effective translation of safety policies and procedures requires a high level of interpersonal skill.”
Cultivating a commitment to safety communication
So, how do we create an environment where clear communication and safety go hand-in-hand? Here are 7 strategies for making that dusty WHS policy do more than sit on the shelf:
1. Establish clear expectations: Share the importance of communication and the correct channels (e.g., email, team meetings, project management tools) for information sharing.
2. Foster psychological safety: Create a safe space where team members feel comfortable expressing concerns without fear of judgment.
3. Practise active listening: When they do speak up, give team members your full attention, ask clarifying questions, and offer feedback.
4. Encourage safety conversations: Promote a culture where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns, about any type of safety issue.
5. Lead by example: Express your own thoughts about safety issues, be approachable, and recognise and reward helpful safety communication.
6. Turn on the tech: Use tools like communication apps, project management software, and virtual meeting platforms to enhance interaction efficiency and engagement.
7. Continuously improve: Regularly assess and adjust your team’s safety communication messages and protocols to ensure everyone is up to date with best practice.
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care offers some clear organisational processes to support effective communication that could be adapted for any industry, like these:
“Provide information about the policies, processes, resources and tools for communicating at key high-risk situations to all members of the workforce.
Educate, train and support the workforce about the use of these tools and their responsibilities to effectively communicate in key high-risk situations.
Consider how teams work and communicate with each other within and outside the organisation (across disciplines).”
A breakdown of communication or culture can make a risky situation more likely to become a reality and 10 times worse to deal with.
It’s time to have that talk with your team. Ask them if they know what to do, how to do it and feel confident about speaking up.
Effective safety communication is not just about avoiding accidents—it’s about building trust, fostering a positive work environment, and ultimately, saving lives, limbs and livelihoods.
This month particularly, and every other day, mind the communication gap.
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