How can you ensure safe work practices are effective?

Most companies have workplace policies and procedures regarding safety, but effectiveness of such policies can vary.

Safety+Health magazine shares the following recommendations for effective safe work practices.

1. They should be clearly stated. Use simple, easy-to-understand words in an active voice. For example: “Wear hard hats on the job site at all times.”
2. They should be positively phrased. Employees are more likely to follow a rule when it is worded in a positive way, such as “Always wear rubber gloves on the job,” rather than a negative way, such as “Don’t forget to wear your rubber gloves.”
3. They should be fair. Restrictive practices that are meaningless and selectively enforced can make all work practices seem less credible.
4. They should be consistently communicated. Share safe work practices regularly in meetings; discuss them during performance reviews; integrate them into department procedures; and post them on posters throughout the workplace, among other strategies.