Introduction
Employee engagement plays a critical role in the success of any company. Workers play a crucial role when it comes to determining the efficacy of a health and safety management system. The foundation of employee engagement is motivation, consistent employee inclusion in decision-making, proper assessment of activities and recognition of efforts. Employee engagement also enables companies to come up with practical solutions to hazards, giving a sense of responsibility to the workforce.
Read on to learn more about how employee engagement enhances the efficacy of HSE software and improves the overall health and safety management system.
What Is A Safety Management System?
A safety management system is a set of activities that an organization adopts to provide a safe working environment for its employees. Participation of employees, controlling hazards and consistent improvement of the safety management system are the elements.
With the help of health and safety software, the leadership can curb dangerous accidents and timely assess risks, accidents or hazards. The staff of a company is educated about the latest OHS management software so that changes in functioning can be done according to changing laws.
HSE software so that they can comply with all the legal standards and stay relevant in the business world. A good health and safety management system also ensures proper communication between departments and comes up with unified programs.
Safety Management Vis-a-Vis Employee Involvement
Employees engaged in the safety management process have proven to be more aware of the latest safety protocols. Regular training, including safety meetings, and openly communicating about safety measures to get feedback are some of the best ways to increase employee engagement.
Importance of Employee Involvement in Your Health and Safety Management System
Key aspects of employee engagement are emotional engagement, social involvement, behavioural engagement and cognitive engagement. Therefore, involving employees in framing a health and safety management the system has multiple advantages.
Here are 4 main benefits of involving employees in safety activities and considering employee feedback:
- Enhanced Productivity of Employees
The productivity of employees shoots up when their feedback is considered and they are allowed to participate in decision-making. The outcomes are positive which gives the workforce a sense of accomplishment. Involvement of employees also enables them to discover their true potential.
- Timely Reporting of Malfunctioning Health and Safety Software
The management keeps employees updated by engaging them in health and safety management drives. By training the workforce of a place continuously, they can predict if and when an OHS management software needs to be updated or changed completely. Employees can also inform the top management at the right time if the software is malfunctioning or if the system is bugged.
- Keeps Employees Updated
By engaging employees at every stage of the process, the workforce stays updated. Through formal and informal channels of communication, employees are made aware of the changes in the system. This continuously staying updated is vital to use the system to its full potential.
- Employee Retention and Satisfaction
Employee retention is extremely important for stable returns and maintaining a reputation in the market. This entails a low rate of turnover which saves companies time and capital. Employees prefer to stay at a place which promises dignity at work and respects their health.
- Creates a Positive Working Environment
By asking employees for feedback on health and safety software, a positive work culture is created. Health and safety management is meant for employee comfort and security. Therefore, by keeping them involved in the safety process, loyalty from the workforce develops organically.
- Better Customer Service
When employees of a company are treated with respect, productivity increases. This improves their will to work and also ensures better customer complaint management. Employees tend to go above and beyond their assigned duties in a friendly working environment which creates a loyal customer base.
- Better Problem-Solving
Employees working in a non-toxic workplace tend to think and perform better. Their problem-solving skills get honed which often gets noticed by the leadership. They tend to get more committed to their work as workplace injuries reduce drastically. Transparency levels go up as employee feedback is always considered and acted upon.
- Enhances Communication and Coordination
With the right HSE software, fatal incidents are negligible which adds to the feeling of safety. Therefore, a sense of camaraderie increases among the staff and they work in a well-coordinated fashion. Inter-departmental communication is at its best which streamlines processes and enables departments to work cohesively.
- Improved Profitability
High employee engagement, safe working environment, trained employees and a positive working environment improve the profitability of a company or a business. It also reduces overhead costs like legal fees and penalties for non-compliance.
- Tests Practicality of HSE Software
Engaging the workforce gives the real picture of how practically useful a Health and Safety software or an OHS software is. It keeps the management updated about the loopholes in software and how they can be covered to ensure safety.
Conclusion
The aim of a health and safety management system in a workplace is to first and foremost ensure employee safety. The workforce is the backbone of a company and a business. Therefore, installing the latest OHS management system is not only ethical but also important to comply with legal standards. Therefore, using employees’ feedback ensures maximum effectiveness in a health and safety management project and it must be considered.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. 1 What is an example of enhanced employee involvement?
Answer: Companies and businesses can conduct surveys to learn more about safety measures in place. They can ask the workforce to submit weekly reports on hazard assessment and risk management systems.
Q. 2 What are the features of employee engagement?
Answer: A sense of ownership or empowerment, encouragement to participate in decision-making and engaging the workforce in improving processes are the features of employee engagement.
Q. 3 What are the 3 levels of employee engagement?
Answer: The three main levels of employee engagement are the active engagement of the workforce, employees who are engaged and those who are actively disengaged.
Q. 4 Which ISO standard is meant for occupational health and safety?
Answer: ISO 45001 specifies rules and regulations that must be followed by an organization to maintain the safety of an employee at the workplace. It underlines ways to reduce work-related injuries and accidents.
Q. 5 What is the difference between ISO 18001 and ISO 45001?
Answer: OHSAS 18001 emphasizes the occupational risk in a workplace whereas ISO 45001 emphasizes preventive measures. It focuses on managing risks and opportunities to cover loopholes for maximum safety.
