Providing safe services is fundamental to quality essential health care. It is also a key component to building and maintaining the trust of patients in healthcare systems. To achieve this, people-centred patient safety strategies must be clear, comprehensive, effective, and sustainable. They should provide the tools and support needed to implement safe healthcare practices, which include strong leadership and a culture of continuous improvement based on evidence (4).
While the occurrence of any safety challenger motor freight incident is always an unwelcome and serious event, the reality is that most workplaces aren’t able to have zero incidents or near misses. This is because human beings, especially in stressful and complex environments, are prone to error. As such, expecting flawless performance from humans working in high-stress environments is unrealistic and will not improve safety (5).
It is important to make sure that employees are aware of the importance of their own behavior and what they can do to contribute to a positive safety culture in their workplace. This can be accomplished by establishing ‘safety moments’, which are small, routine activities that focus on safety and can be used to reinforce existing safe work practices. Examples of safety moments include explaining where the fire escapes are on a daily basis or showing workers how to use equipment correctly.
Another way to socialize the need for safety is through role models who are dedicated to working safely. This is particularly important in the case of junior staff, apprentices, and new entrants to the workforce who can be influenced by the behaviors of their senior counterparts. This can be done through formal programs such as ‘Safety Champions’ or informal ways such as creating a culture of peer mentoring (6).
The last key component to a safe workplace is making sure that all employees are able to express their concerns about safety issues and that they are empowered to speak up if they see risks or potential hazards in their work environment. This can be difficult in environments where there is a culture of fear or blame, where employees are afraid that speaking up will be seen as a sign of weakness and that they will be punished for making mistakes (7).
In a culture where safety is valued, it is easy to see why this would not be the case. Employees know that their safety, as well as the safety of patients, family members and colleagues is paramount, and they will be rewarded for taking the steps necessary to keep themselves and others safe. This is why it’s important to take the time to build a strong and sustainable safety culture in your business, where everyone is committed to keeping each other safe. This will benefit you and your employees in the long term, as well as your customers and communities.