The Link Between a Positive Work Environment and Safety

Did you know that employees in positive workplace cultures are happier, more committed to their employer, and more loyal?

More to the point for EHS teams, they’re more committed to safety.

You see, a positive workplace is about more than a spring in your step. In fact, there’s a direct link between a positive work environment and safety. And if you’re looking to promote a stronger safety culture, a positive work environment is the best place to start.

What Makes a Positive Work Environment?

A positive work environment is more than just some good office jokes and friendly chatter around the coffee machine.

Positive work environments foster open and honest communication among employees–when something is wrong, employees feel confident about speaking up to fix it. They feel safe and encouraged by their team members because everyone is compassionate to everyone else, and the atmosphere is one of positive reinforcement, i.e. praising your good work and also giving constructive criticism if something goes wrong so that everyone can move forward positively.

Because of this, positive work environments are highly focused on growth opportunities at every avenue. But when employees head home for the day, they have a work-life balance that fulfills them.

Why a Positive Work Environment Is Valuable

Do we really need to sell you on a happier workday?

In case we do, here are some numbers to back it up: the economy loses $500 billion per year to workplace stress, healthcare expenditures at high-pressure companies are 50% higher, and 80% of doctor visits are due to stress-related health issues.

Oh, and there’s the cost of disengagement. Disengaged workers have 37% higher absenteeism, 60% more errors, 49% more accidents, and 16% lower profitability.

In short? Positive workplaces aren’t just happier. They’re healthier, more cost-effective, more engaged, more productive, and more profitable.

Positive Work Environment and Safety

What does all of this have to do with safety? In many ways, a positive work environment and safety are like a chicken and an egg–you can’t have one without the other.

Every employee wants to be in a positive work environment. When they find one, they’re more engaged and committed. And as every safety professional knows, an engaged employee is a safe employee.

When employees actually want to be there, when they feel valued and important and empowered, they’ll engage with safety. They’ll work hard to promote positive safety outcomes. In other words, with positivity, what goes around comes around.

Let’s Build a Better Safety Culture

Of course, knowing that a positive work environment and safety go together and actually implementing that knowledge are two different things. The first step is having the tools to be aware of where you stand.

Our safety management software makes it easy to transform your vision of a safer future into reality, with powerful reporting and an easy-to-use dashboard so that you can turn your observations into results. That way, you can make the little changes needed to achieve big safety goals.

Sound good? Then get in touch today to learn how our safety software can empower your team to build the culture you need.