If there is anything that needs to be rolled up, it is in the workplace in a factory or production line. On the one hand, this creates a nice dynamic, but at the same time it requires a lot from the factory employees. Think of heavy machinery, repetitive actions, dangerous substances and an environment where safety can sometimes literally be vitally important.
As an employer, how can you ensure that these employees can also retire healthily and happily? One thing is certain: just looking expectantly at the Working Conditions Act or hoping it all goes well by itself, you won't get there. Just as with many other topics, the employer also has a great responsibility for this. to comply with all laws and regulations.
That's why we're happy to give you a number of practical tips that will not only keep the Labour Inspectorate out and reduce absenteeism, but also boost your employees' happiness at work. And with the current labor market, that is perhaps the biggest plus!
New employees are extra vulnerable. They don't know the work environment yet, let alone all the safety rules. Some people find it quite exciting to ask questions to colleagues who are still unknown, so make sure you have a good onboarding program, where safety and well-being play an important role.
Of course, it's a good idea to give everyone a tour, where they can see and experience potentially dangerous situations on location. But also a online interactive introductory course, where every new colleague can learn everything about the company, the safety regulations and their own role in them at their own pace (and maybe even in their own language), is highly recommended.
This gives the new colleagues a flying start right away.
Don't just mention safety and health when a new employee arrives. Make sure that themes such as vitality and sustainable employability become an integral part of your corporate culture. Then these topics are no longer just on the employer's plate, but it really becomes a shared responsibility. If safety and health really come to life in the workplace, it becomes normal to talk to your colleague, for example, if he or she shows up at work without safety shoes or eye protection, or continues to work during the break.
The power of repetition creates more safety awareness. That is why you should provide clear information to your employees at different times and locations. A toolbox meeting during the break, a pop-up at narrowcasting or a flyer at the coffee machine: if you repeat the message often enough, it settles into the employees' brains unnoticed. Right where you want it!
Keep the annoying finger out of the box as much as possible. Introduce your employees in a pleasant and, above all, appropriate way. That means, for example: don't blow things off too high, with a touch of humor and easy language. Incorporate daily work situations into a pub quiz, because gamification does wonders in conveying information. Do many foreign-speaking people work in your factory?
Then use attractive images or have the text translated.
Traditionally, our focus has mainly been on physical health. Not entirely surprising, because a healthy body is visible and tangible. Moreover, in our culture, especially in an environment where competition and testosterone are rampant, there is often still a taboo on naming psychological complaints.
However, in this blog, we also want to advocate paying attention to mental vitality. A study recently conducted by TNO showed that this is not an unnecessary luxury. As many as 20% of the employees reported that they regularly experience work stress. When you realise that work stress can not only lead to lower productivity and long-term downtime, but also significantly increase the risk of accidents... need we say more?
Here, too, timely recognition and recognition play a major role.
Make sure that employees can contact a (preferably external) counselor, but can also do online relaxation exercises or have an anonymous report button so that someone can easily tell their story.
If you really want to keep your business healthy and safe, regular maintenance is required. We mean that both literally and figuratively. If you ensure regular inspection of machines and workplaces, you will not suddenly be confronted with accidents due to overdue maintenance. But refreshing your employees' product knowledge and technical insight also means that they can be deployed much longer in a healthy way.
Of course, you can try to think about all this for yourself, but you don't have to do that for a long time. Here is exactly the digitisation of HR processes invented for! Use the various online options, for example, to include a Risk Inventory and Assessment (RIE) on your agenda, ask employees to update their Personal Development Plan, or put all user manuals centrally on your intranet and, above all, check regularly whether they need an update.
You are amazed at how much information is hidden in an organisation and how little it is really used. There is undoubtedly also a wealth of absenteeism rates, industrial accidents and failures in your company, for example. The trick is to uncover this data and, more importantly, to find out how certain things could have been prevented or remedied.
That's why you should talk to people with a key position in your company at least once a quarter. Ask your company doctor about absenteeism trends in the organisation, join a work meeting and have a cup of coffee with the works council while putting health and safety on the agenda. And, last but not least: also ask the employees themselves for ideas about how they think things can all be even better and safer in the workplace. Of course, this can be done by taking a tour of the factory hall and talking to colleagues in person, but by turning off an accessible one online employee satisfaction survey is often even better.
This is because this offers people the opportunity to anonymously come up with complaints that they have. face-to-face would not dare to address it.
Do you want to know how to get a good picture of vitality and safety? Or do you need some extra inspiration when it comes to health and safety? Experience the power of Pluvo for yourself! Click here for a demo or call +31 (20) 560 5001.
As an educational expert specialising in online learning, I have been writing blogs for Pluvo for 5 years. My focus is on powerful learning solutions for organisations. Universal Design for Learning and inclusive learning are my passion; I believe that education should be accessible and fun for everyone.
I've been combining my 35 years of HR experience with copywriting for over 15 years. And even then, I learn new things over and over again. That's what makes writing blogs for Pluvo so incredibly interesting!
