Too often in the electrical construction industry, companies treat culture and safety as two entirely separate spheres. In reality, however, workplace culture and workplace safety are intertwined. The importance of safety in the electrical construction industry cannot be overstated. So rather than leaving matters of workplace culture to the human resources department, electrical construction companies should instead recognize the importance of safety managers in building a workplace culture that both employer and employee will be happy with.

Indeed, creating a culture of workplace safety that takes into account employees’ ideas, suggestions, and experience is a great first step in building a positive and productive overall workplace culture. What really defines workplace culture, after all, is employees’ own opinions regarding the company’s policies, procedures, and practices. Culture deals with what employees actually experience in the workplace on a day to day basis.

In support of the notion that workplace safety and workplace culture are inextricably linked in the electrical construction industry, recent research has revealed that there exists a statistically strong relationship between employees’ opinions about workplace culture and the reality of safety outcomes. That is to say, companies whose employees express positive opinions about their workplace culture also experience fewer accidents, fewer days away from work, fewer recorded safety incidents, and fewer workday interruptions.

Not unsurprisingly, communication is a key factor in both workplace safety and workplace culture. How employees perceive the quality and quantity of communication in the company has a big impact on the creation of a culture of safety within a company. There are six communication related factors that appear to be directly linked to safety, with safety incidents occurring a quarter more often in companies where employees do not feel that these communication factors are being adequately addressed.

  • The company keeps employees informed on matters directly affecting them.
  • The company provides easy access to information employees require to do their jobs.
  • The company provides employees with a clear idea of what is expected of them at work.
  • The company sufficiently informs employees about corporate values.
  • The company provides employees with adequate information regarding company plans.
  • The company demonstrates to employees how each department’s objectives fit into company goals.

Building a workplace culture that provides employees with adequate information regarding, not only the company’s expectations of its employees, but also their role within the overall corporate picture is a great way to build a productive, satisfied, and safety-focused employee base.

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