Why does it make sense?
Essentially, the more people focused on safety, the better the chances of preventing work-related accidents. Therefore, your employer must understand that you and your co-workers deal with mitigating hazards on the job site and are more likely to identify dangers than anyone else in the company.
If your employer involves you in hazard identification and encourages engagement, the safety culture will become positive. When everybody shares safety management, you and your co-workers will not hesitate to report potential accidents or near-miss incidents. Such safety awareness will prevent workers from taking risks and limit the number of occupational injuries.
Judging effectiveness of safety controls
Your employer might come to understand that workers on site are also the best ones to judge and validate the safety measures put in place to mitigate hazards. As a part of the shared safety responsibilities, your employer must seek your feedback on the effectiveness of implemented hazard controls. If they do not mitigate the risk, further efforts might be necessary.
The bottom line
If you and your co-workers play essential roles in your own safety, it will raise safety awareness and prove that management values your input. In addition, it will boost employee morale, production levels and, ultimately, the bottom line. At the same time, it will eliminate medical expenses, increased insurance premiums and missed production deadlines.
