Implementing a Safety Culture in the Workplace: A Guide for Parker Smallgoods

This report provides recommendations and strategies for Parker Smallgoods to implement a safety culture in the workplace. It includes a literature review of how other companies ensure workplace safety, and suggests strategies such as proper marking, communication, training, leading by example, and implementing a positive reporting process.

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Table of Contents
Introduction.......................................................................................................................3
Literature Review...............................................................................................................3
Recommendations/Strategies to implement a safety culture.............................................3
Conclusion.........................................................................................................................5
Bibliography.......................................................................................................................6

Introduction
Parker Smallgoods is an Australian based company that was founded in 1920 by the Parker
family with a dream to offer the finest quality meat to the customers using traditional Italian
recipes. The company has become a major supplier of bacon and small goods and has now
managed to employ a workforce of 250 employees.
Recently, in an independent health and safety investigation, the auditor pointed out the lack
of a safety culture in the workplace. Even though the auditor praised the senior management
for complying with safety standards and giving importance to employee safety but there were
a number of instances which demonstrated a lack of a safety culture, such as using mincing
machines while they were still running, not putting the knives in their proper places, workers
not wearing their safety gear & equipment, etc. Therefore, this report has been prepared to
guide the management to implement a safety culture in the workplace.
Literature Review
Almost all business organisations in the world have their own way of ensuring workplace
safety. Pullin Shearing Limited is a private company based in Canterbury and is into shearing
contracts. The company has appointed a part time office administrator who looks after safety
and health systems in the workplace. The company has partnerships with several
organisations that helps it in ensuring workplace safety, such as New Zealand Shearing
Contractors Association, Agricultural ITO, etc. The management of the company has put up a
number of systems and processes that promote injury prevention and carries out regular
audits to keep a check on workplace safety (Heathrose Research, 2013). The company also
maintains a hazard register in which all hazards related to shearing and particular sheds are
recorded and all employees are given access to this register. Further, the company also uses a
system of incident reporting and all incidents are investigated thoroughly by the management.
Recommendations/Strategies to implement a safety culture
Parker Smallgoods can use the following strategies to implement a safety culture in the
workplace:

Firstly, the management needs to use proper marking, signs and symbols near all machinery
and equipment which can put the safety of the workforce at a risk. Using proper symbols,
along with instructions and user manual, can help the management in reminding the
employees of a risk prone machine or area in the workplace (Denis, 2012). As a result, the
employees would be more cautious when using such machinery, tools, equipment or while
entering a risk prone area.
Secondly, communication and presentations can become one of the best methods to foster a
safety culture in the workplace (Occupational Healh & Safety, 2016). Arranging safety talks
would communicate a message amongst the employees that the management values their
safety and that they should do it as well.
Thirdly, training and development programs, related to workplace safety, can be a great move
towards the implementation of a safety culture in the workplace. It has been found that when
employees undergo training and development programs that are related to workplace safety,
they demonstrate a higher tendency to abide by the safety rules as they have been trained
about the hazards or accidents that can happen while working in a risk prone environment
(Nathan-Turner, 2015).
Fourthly, it is important for the management to lead the workforce by setting examples. Even
though the management has been putting a lot of efforts to ensure safety of its employees, it
is important that they should follow the safety rules and regulations themselves (Zizzo,
2011). Seeing their seniors follow the safety rules and regulations and giving such high
priority to workplace safety will have a positive impact on the employees and they too would
start considering workplace safety as an important aspect.
Last, but not the least, the management needs to implement a positive reporting process
throughout the workplace. To initiate the reporting process, the management should
formulate a JHSC, also known as a Joint Health and Safety Committee, which is an internal
system that is responsible for ensuring safety of the workforce. The reporting process should
be designed by buying-in the employees and engaging them in the process right from the very
beginning (Miller, n.d.). The JHSC should conduct surveys and ask questions from the
workforce about how the reporting process should look like.It will become way easier for the

management to implement a better safety culture in the workplace if it can get the employees
to comfortably report cases where safety of the employees had been jeopardized.
Conclusion
The building up of a safety culture is really important for companies like Parker Smallgoods
that operate in such a risk prone environment, which can be a time consuming process. The
management would need to patiently take one step at a time and use the above strategies,
which would greatly help it in fostering a safety culture in the workplace.

Bibliography
Miller, J., n.d. Six Tips to Help you Build a Positive Safety Culture. [Online]
Available at: https://www.osg.ca/six-tips-to-help-you-build-a-positive-safety-culture-in-your-
workplace/[Accessed 3 May 2018].
Zizzo, S., 2011. 8 steps to a strong safety culture. [Online] Available at:
https://www.ishn.com/articles/91474-8-steps-to-a-strong-safety-culture[Accessed 3 May
2018].
Occupational Healh & Safety, 2016. How to Implement a Safety Culture in Your
Organization. [Online] Available at:
https://ohsonline.com/Blogs/The-OHS-Wire/2016/04/How-To-Implement-A-Safety-Culture-
In-Your-Organization.aspx
[Accessed 3 May 2018].
Denis, J., 2012. 7 ways to build a safety culture. [Online] Available at:
http://workplacepossibilities.com/blog/7-ways-to-build-a safety-culture/[Accessed 3 May
2018].
Nathan-Turner, S., 2015. 10 Ways to Create a Culture of Safety in the Workplace. [Online]
Available at: https://www.fast-rescue.com/blog/10-ways-to-create-a-culture-of-safety-in-the-
workplace[Accessed 3 May 2018].
Heathrose Research, 2013. Health and Safety Workplace Case Studies, s.l.: s.n.