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You’ve gone through the necessary steps, researched thoroughly, and compared your alternatives, you've put time and money into your chosen safety systems. What’s the next step?
As an agribusiness who values health and safety in agriculture, you might wonder how to motivate your farm workers to make safety a priority while working.
Changing how workers adopt new practices can be a slow process, and we all know the saying, "old habits die hard." Implementing a fresh approach to safety will be no exception. To assist you and your team in reassessing your dedication to workplace safety, we’ve put together a list of best practices.
What is worker engagement and why is it important?
It's important to understand that worker engagement differs from worker satisfaction. Satisfaction is all about how happy a worker feels in their position, while engagement is centered on the dedication and effort they bring to their work. Although satisfaction plays a role in engagement, a worker can be content with their job but still not fully engaged.
To put it simply, worker engagement is about how committed a worker is to their place of employment and its mission. When workers are engaged, they feel a bond with their employer, are eager to contribute, and consistently put in their best performance at work.
Actively engaging workers in health and safety measures is the key to creating a more productive work environment. When workers know how to safely perform their duties, they are more likely to do so with confidence, speed, and efficiency. Workers that are committed to health and safety not only respect an agribusinesses safety policies but are also eager to learn the best practices for ensuring a safe workplace by participating in any available safety training.
Steps to create a safety culture on your farm
Take the lead and keep it positive.
Your team will look to you for guidance on safety, making it essential to weave safety into the fabric of your workplace culture. Actions often speak louder than words. Your leadership team should lead by example, creating a nurturing environment that supports your safety program. At the outset, especially in agriculture, the focus should be on encouraging workers through positive reinforcement and constructive criticism rather than harsh consequences.
Have you considered how you will demonstrate your commitment to safety and communicate expectations when workers first start on farm? If not, it’s time to review your onboarding documents as well as reinforcing this as part of your daily operations and training.
Give your farm workers ownership over their safety.
Engage your team in conversations about how they maintain safety on a daily basis. Show them the right practices, offer guidance, and hold them responsible for their actions. You'll see that when workers take an active part in workplace safety, their mindset towards its importance shifts positively. Remember, creating a supportive environment for safety doesn't mean you should turn a blind eye to unsafe practices.
Provide open communication between your leadership team and workers, be diligent and address your concerns, but be clear on the impacts on their co-workers and themselves.
Explain risks associated with your industry, machinery and tasks so they understand what can hurt them and how to stay safe. If you see something that isn’t safe, act on it. Pick up the hose across a walkway. If a worker is carrying a heavy load alone, assist them and take the time to educate them on manual handling techniques.
Promote a reporting culture that supports your health and safety practices for your agribusiness.
A key takeaway here is to never ask your team for feedback and then overlook it. It's essential to recognise and incorporate worker feedback into your safety measures. When someone offers a suggestion that could enhance safety, they should be celebrated for it. Also, encourage your team to report any hazards or incidents—if you don’t know about them, you can’t fix them.
Get your workers involved in the decision-making process, where possible. This could be utilising time as part of a meeting where workers can recognise their achievements in keeping each other safe. This time also allows you to demonstrate the benefits as well as the results of those efforts.
In order for your farm workers to take safety seriously, they need to be motivated.
Safety is a daily commitment, and when you prioritise it, your team will follow suit. Remember, forming new habits takes time, so give yourself the time to adjust. To truly embrace safety, make it a top priority in the workplace, be open to feedback, and regularly evaluate your methods.
Topics: Safety Management System
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