HSE in Action: Key Aspects of Employee Engagement in Safety

Employee engagement in safety is essentially a combination of interest and motivation. This phenomenon always remains in the individual sphere, defined by the values of both the person and the company as a whole.

But what exactly are the reasons behind violations and the general lack of interest in safety?

First and foremost, this is linked to an illusory perception of environmental safety. People do not always realize the importance and benefits of specific actions to ensure safety. Furthermore, HSE processes are often disconnected from the business and the employees themselves, creating the impression that working safely is a complex, time-consuming, and inconvenient process.

Motivation for following safety rules also varies for everyone. It can be based on conviction, commitment, habits, fear of punishment for violations, the presence or absence of evidence and facts about risks, awareness of consequences for oneself and others, and a deep understanding of the importance of safety.

It should be noted that safety at work is inextricably linked to safe behavior in life in general. The percentage of employees demonstrating safe behavior at work and engaged in safety issues is significantly higher when certain practices:

• selecting candidates during recruitment based on testing for tendencies toward deviant behavior in safety
• regular testing and surveys among current employees to increase engagement levels
• analysis of feedback and test results
• involvement of employees and managers in risk management

Engagement tools and methods also yield positive results, such as:

• training: workshops, courses, and manuals
• practical reinforcement of the material
• information sharing, i.e., providing real statistics, facts, etc.
• motivation systems
• promotion of safety issues
• corporate and social responsibility projects

The result of applying these methods is the promotion of HSE and increased employee engagement in safety issues.