Reducing the Resistance

July 14, 2014

Being in charge of safety in a hazardous work environment can be a challenging position. Between enforcing the safety protocol within the work environment, encouraging people to follow the safety protocol, and educating people about how they are supposed to follow the safety protocol, there are many things that must be considered for workplace safety to be a success. And those tasks are just the elements that require direct interaction with the employees. The safety manager is also responsible for conducting an analysis of the various hazards in the workplace and devising the best possible solutions to reduce the risk of those safety hazards.  There are many common complaints about the use of fall protection systems in the workplace. However, there are appealing ways to address those issues that will make people happier about using fall protection and keep them safer while working at height.

MAKE FALL PROTECTION ACCESSIBLE

When there is a long, annoying process to find fall protection equipment or get it set up, people will not want to use it. Worse yet, people may feel that it’s more efficient to not use fall protection at all.  

The best way to avoid this mentality is to make sure that all of the equipment needed for fall protection is clearly marked and easily accessed near any area with a fall hazard. If people can apply their fall protection equipment quickly and efficiently, then they will be more likely to use it.

MAKE FALL PROTECTION COMFORTABLE

One of the most common complaints from people who need to use fall protection is that the equipment causes discomfort in some way. Typically, the biggest problems are worker comfort and mobility. It’s only human for someone to not want to deal with something that is annoying or uncomfortable.

This issue can be resolved by simply buying the right equipment. Even though different people will have different needs, there are hundreds of designs for fall protection equipment to make sure that everyone is comfortable while working at height. Safety equipment is an important investment for any company that has workers in hazardous situations.

PUBLIC RECOGNITION & REWARDING

One of the best ways to re-enforce a good behavior is to acknowledge the positive actions of people who are being safe in the workplace. If people feel like their efforts to be safe go unrecognized, they will be more likely to ignore proper safety protocol. On the other hand, if someone is given credit for being safe and exhibiting proper use of fall protection, it will be clear that effort is being noticed.

In addition to giving verbal merit to people, it is always good to encourage safe behavior with a rewards program. For example, the company could buy lunch for the employees for every month that they go without an accident. In some instances, people may feel less inclined to report an injury because they don’t want to lose the reward. Usually people will try to stay safe in an effort to receive the reward, and they will still report an accident if it occurs.

ENCOURAGE QUALITY OF LIFE

One of the most meaningful ways to inspire people to use fall protection is to remind them about how an accident could impact their quality of life. A preventable death of a family member can be devastating for a family to handle. However, if a person survives a fall, but is permanently injured as a result, that person may find that their quality of life has been dramatically decreased. It can be helpful to remind people that having permanent injuries will have a significant impact on their social lives and their abilities to pursue certain hobbies.  

Until the next time, stay safe up there!

Do you have other effective ways of encouraging people who work at height to use fall protection? Tell us about it in the comments section below!

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