A safe and good work environment will reduce accidents and incidents and will also encourage your employees to perform to their best.
Workplace health and safety is a vital aspect of managing risks and safeguarding the well-being of workers and the sustainability of business. A key characteristic of effective health and safety management is strong leadership that inspires and holds managers, employees, suppliers, contractors, and customers together. The focus of occupational health and safety is to enhance the safety and well-being of workers by eliminating work-related accidents and illnesses, promoting better working conditions, and establishing a safe and conducive work environment. Neglecting occupational health and safety can have severe and far-reaching consequences for workers, companies, and the broader economy.
While hazards are often expected in workplaces with heavy machinery, chemicals, or hazardous materials, it is essential to note that even office jobs that involve sitting for prolonged periods can pose health and safety risks. Identifying and assessing hazards, taking preventive measures and precautions, providing training and awareness, implementing regulations and procedures, and conducting evaluations are all critical components of health and safety management system in any organization.
A company is expected to care for its employees by managing safety and health in a professional way. Therefore, the management and executives, which are responsible to map out overall safety management for the company and to handle accidents must achieve in-depth understanding of the relationship between the organization’s safety culture and employees’ behaviors. The company’s safety management system and safety culture established across the organization compositely influence employees’ behaviors during work hours.
Safety culture is defined as the “values and norms of the organizational structures and technical functions shared through interaction for the purpose of developing and maintaining a safety management system targeting all classes in a company or a plant.” Safety Culture was first introduced in 1975 in its original form as organizational climate, defined as being an area of research into the perceptions that employees share about their work environment. It was proposed that these shared perceptions guided the attitudes and behaviors of the employees and in turn had an impact on the efficiency of the organization. The publications of reports into industrial disasters have provided a cornerstone in the concept of organizational safety, instigating a move away from the traditional engineering approach to a behavioral approach, which focuses on the social and organizational preconditions that enhance safety performance. This shift constitutes a move away from 'reactive' organizational learning to 'proactive' measures of enhancing safety. The Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 (resulting in the death of 31 people and environmental pollution) triggered in-depth discussion of safety culture. This is when the international nuclear agencies began using the term “safety culture.”
On the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, celebrated annually on April 28th, DNV joins the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations in promoting the prevention of accidents and diseases at work. This day also serves as an International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers, reminding us of the tragic events that have taken countless innocent lives due to unsafe workplaces. We offer our condolences to all those who have suffered such losses and make a positive impact through our actions, such as certifying management systems or products, assessing supply chains, medical devices, hospitals, or digital assets. By enabling our customers and stakeholders to make critical decisions with confidence and realizing long-term strategic goals sustainably, we continue to drive progress towards a safer and healthier world.
DNV has established itself as a reliable and knowledgeable partner, with a proven track record of delivering expert services that customers and organizations trust and rely on. Leveraging our expertise and impartial position, we provide unbiased facts and insights, empowering our clients to make informed decisions with confidence. Our diverse portfolio of assessment and digital assurance solutions caters to a wide range of sectors, including mining, manufacturing, hospitality, FMCG, and others, helping companies build trust and transparency around their products, assets, supply chains, and other ecosystems.
At DNV, our organizational purpose of safeguarding life, property, and the environment is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to enhancing the health and safety performance of our clients, partnering with them in India and the Middle East to provide advisory, training, and assessment services. Our structured assessment programs evaluate safety culture, engage leaders and workers, and enable clients to continually improve their organization's health and safety.
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