Workers safety promotion and participation

Workplaces are safer when everyone communicates and contributes to WHS knowledge. Workers should be encouraged to engage in WHS by working together to identify hazards and risks, talking about WHS concerns, and collaborating to find solutions.

Employers should encourage workers to stay informed about WHS activities by sharing your vision, genuine interest, and enthusiasm for WHS and wellbeing. Acknowledge their efforts when workers share their knowledge or participate in activities that show commitment to a safer workplace.

To support workers to engage with WHS:

• involve them in WHS planning. Get input on hazards, risks and solutions from people who understand and perform the work
• promote WHS programs, initiatives and information via signs, posters, notice boards and newsletters
• ask workers how you can help them stay informed and engaged about safety. Would they prefer health and safety representatives (HSRs) or a health and safety committee (HSC) to represent them, or a less formal process that involves them by communicating and consulting directly with the leadership team?

HSRs and HSCs provide the means to give workers a voice in health and safety matters at the workplace and involve workers through participation and consultation. Employers may need to invite workers to request election of a HSR, or establish a HSC where requested. Learn more about the election of HSRs and establishment of HSCs.

Support motivated workers to be involved in the organisation’s WHS efforts with regular meetings to discuss safety initiatives. Recognise achievements and the benefits to the business when teams work together to make safety a priority at work.

Lead by example and encourage workers to engage in and support WHS efforts:

• wear personal protective equipment and follow safe work procedures
• participate in safety training with your workers
• hold regular toolbox talks about safety and provide workers with opportunities to join in
• stay up to date on WHS issues relevant to your business by joining a safety network group or leadership program to learn from others. Share your learnings with your team
• recognise and reward good WHS practices.

Alignment between workers and organisational values results in a culture with positive relationships, high morale, trust, commitment, and engagement. Through regular and meaningful consultation, workers will be assured that WHS is a priority and is taken seriously. Workers are more likely to be proactive and engage in WHS programs and initiatives where safety is valued.

Foster an environment where WHS is a normal, standard practice in your business. As a leader, consider the way you speak about safety, respond to safety issues, and how you involve others in managing WHS at work. Change the culture so that being involved in WHS is an expectation of all staff, not just those with a specific safety role.

A good safety reporting process will encourage workers to take action to speak up and act on WHS issues. The Safety fundamentals toolkit has resources to help improve reporting, such as the Hazard/incident report (DOC, 0.07 MB) and Tips for investigating workplace incidents factsheet (PDF, 0.48 MB). Share these with your workers.