Wondering how to implement a safety culture program in your workplace? Whether your current strategic agenda needs a refresh or a complete overhaul, the task can feel like a mammoth one.
Getting everyone on the same page, using the same language, and working together effectively often starts with training.
Training is a huge investment. There are design and development costs, delivery costs and time away from normal work. It’s imperative that the training is targeting the right areas, hitting the mark and easy to translate to everyday work.
So, with that in mind, how can you accomplish this and ensure your investment is getting returns?
Culture Change Framework: The Sentis Way
Before we dive into the necessary steps to successfully implement a safety culture program, let’s talk about The Sentis Way. This model is a practical framework, designed to guide organisations through effectively managing change.
While The Sentis Way helps us determine what ‘step’ an organisation is up to on their safety culture change journey, it also provides a structured approach our clients can follow for planning and implementing change.
And whether that change is organisation-wide or more targeted, the same guidelines still apply. Below you’ll find the actionable steps we recommend for implementing a training program, as well as where they sit in The Sentis Way framework.
How to implement a safety program
Step 1: Understand – Assess your workplace needs
Every workplace is different – the risks facing the mining industry are going to be vastly different to those working in telecommunications.
And even within an organisation, different locations and sites may encounter different hazards in their day-to-day and harbour very different safety cultures.
When it comes to assessing your workplace needs, start with data you already have on hand. This may include employee surveys or incident reports. Reviewing past incident reports can help identify recurring safety issues you’re dealing with. Incidents and near misses can help guide training, so you know where to focus your efforts.
If you don’t have capacity to review incident data, we can support with our Critical Control Assurance suite. Reviewing incident data can also inform the content and examples used in training, making sure it’s tailored to suit the group.
Consider collecting additional data and using evidence-based tools to provide new insights or fill gaps in understanding. Ask yourself – what information do I need to make informed decisions? How can I track improvements?
This will set you up for success when you get to the end of your training rollout and want to evaluate how it went.
For a comprehensive approach, we recommend pairing your internal review with a safety culture assessment. While you may have an idea of where your culture stands, an assessment offers new insights, compares to industry benchmarks and you can track your progress.
Step 2: Align – Get your people onboard
Getting your people onboard means getting everyone who will be involved or impacted by this training rollout onboard. Build a shared vision and strategic plan.
Firstly, the leadership team need to be brought into the conversation. Senior leaders need to give the greenlight, middle management need to be consulted and those on the frontline need to understand the impact this training is going to have.
Everyone has a part to play in making sure this rollout is successful. It’s best to have those conversations early on, so this is an initiative your leadership team can get behind and champion, rather than someone else’s project they’re being forced to endure. Bring them on the journey.
When it comes to getting the workforce onboard, the same basic rule applies – bring them along for the ride. While building a business case isn’t necessary, it’s still crucial to communicate why you’re asking workers to undertake this training and what you’re hoping they’ll get out of the process.
Saying it’s important for ‘compliance reasons’ isn’t very inspiring, and it also doesn’t communicate what kind of culture you’re hoping to build.
Give employees plenty of warning so they can anticipate being ‘off the tools’ and, as we mention in the next step, consider what delivery method is going to work best for them.
Step 3: Prepare – Delivery method & program development
Choosing your delivery method
Depending on organisation size, resources and of course, worker availability/preference, your delivery method may vary. Your training could take the form of:
- Face-to-face delivery
- Interactive digital delivery
- Self-paced online learning, or
- A blended approach, using a combination of delivery methods
Since it’s your people undertaking the safety culture training, choose a delivery method that best fits their preferences and is realistic for them to undertake. And this may change from site to site. For example, rolling out online training is going to be difficult if staff don’t have access to internet.
Where possible, including employees in the planning process can improve buy-in. This means when training rolls around, workers are more likely to be actively engaged, rather than just ‘showing up’.
Developing your safety program
Once you have a good idea of what your organisation’s needs are, you can set learning objectives for your safety culture program.
What came out in your needs analysis that your training needs to address? How can you make the content as relevant and engaging as possible?
Sentis’ Positive Safety programs focus on shifting individuals’ attitudes towards safety and embedding safety as a personal value. This includes:
- Understanding how the brain works
- Encouraging self-awareness and personal accountability
- Building a proactive safety mindset
- Creating a shared safety vision that aligns with organisational goals
A successful safety culture program must go beyond compliance and technical skills training – it should inspire behavioural change that promotes sustained safety improvement.
Start to plan now how these new ideas are going to integrate into the way things are done in the organisation. For example, will this become part of an induction program? Will you have training ambassadors to guide the ongoing implementation?
Step 4: Implement – Deliver training
Delivery is a crucial step – how you introduce and facilitate training can make a significant difference in engagement and effectiveness.
Key considerations include:
- Who will deliver the training? Internal trainers, external consultants or a mix of both?
- Will there be ongoing coaching and reinforcement sessions?
- How can you incorporate this training into onboarding new starters?
- How can leadership be involved to demonstrate commitment?
A well-executed training session should encourage participation, use real-world examples and provide opportunities for workers to apply what they have learned immediately.
Interactive components such as discussions, simulations and scenario-based learning can enhance retention and adoption.
Step 5: Integrate – Reinforce training
Training alone isn’t enough to create lasting change – reinforcement is critical. Without ongoing reinforcement, even the most engaging training will fade from memory.
Consider incorporating:
- Toolbox talks and refresher sessions
- Visual reminders such as posters and digital communications
- Peer mentoring and coaching
- Leadership role-modelling safety behaviours
Reinforcement should be woven into daily operations to keep safety top of mind. Encouraging employees to share success stories and learnings from real-life situations can also help maintain momentum.
Step 6: Evaluate – Measure training outcomes
Measuring safety culture change isn’t quite the same as passing or failing a formal assessment for operating high-risk machinery.
How will you measure if the training has been effective in tackling those objectives?
Key metrics to track include:
- Employee feedback and engagement with the program
- Incident and near-miss trends before and after training
- Pre and post safety culture assessment results
- Regular safety climate pulse check-ins
- Observed behavioural changes on the job
A combination of qualitative and quantitative data will provide a clearer picture of whether the program is making a meaningful impact.
Step 7: Evaluate – Keep improving
A strong safety culture is never ‘finished’ – it requires continuous refinement and adaptation. Regularly review and adjust your program based on feedback, incident data and changes in organisational priorities.
Ways to continuously improve include:
- Seeking input from workers on what’s working and what’s not
- Keeping up with industry best practices and innovations
- Refreshing training materials to stay relevant
- Recognising and rewarding positive safety behaviours
By embedding continuous improvement into your approach, you’ll create a safety culture that evolves and strengthens over time.
Implementing a safety program takes time and commitment, but the payoff is significant. Organisations that prioritise a proactive approach to safety see improvements in engagement, incident reduction and overall business performance.
With these seven steps, you can create a program that is both impactful and sustainable. If you’re ready to start your safety culture change journey, get in touch now.
