Description

Key elements of Safety Barriers in a workplace

Workplace safety is of utmost importance to all organizations, but a true safety culture cannot exist without the actions and beliefs of employees. 

One of the most common barriers is a lack of communication between senior management and employees. If employees don’t feel like their voices are being heard, they’re less likely to buy into the safety culture. Another common barrier is a lack of resources. 

Safety barriers are generally described in terms of three key elements: technical, operational and organizational. Technical and operational barrier elements are fairly well-defined, but organizational barrier elements can often be more elusive.

One strategy for addressing this issue is to try to categorize what counts as an ‘organization’ for the purposes of safety barriers. This can help create a more systematic approach to barrier categorization. However, it is not always possible or desirable to confine organizational influences to strict categories.

About this course

• Training Provider: OHS.com.au with AlertForce (RTO Code 91826)
• Location: Online
• Course length: Approx. 4 hours
• Time: Self-paced
• Certification / Accreditation: Certificate of Completion*
• CPD Points: Yes. 4 points as certificate of completion

Background – Common barriers in an organisation

Organizational culture is key to employee safety, but there are a lot of things that can get in the way of that. Here are some of the most common issues:

1 – Leadership - Leaders need to be committed to safety in order for employees to take it seriously. It can't just be talk, there has to be real action taken by executives. If leaders set the example, show their employees what safe behaviour looks like, communicate plans and procedures, and enforce them, then your organization will have a much better chance of having a positive safety culture.

2 – Reporting - It’s important that employees feel comfortable speaking up if they see something that doesn't fit with the company's safety culture. There can't be any repercussions for the person who reports the problem. If there is, it'll be noticed and remembered. Creating a safe culture includes protecting whistle blowers, even if they're reporting their direct manager or a member of senior leadership. You can put an anonymous reporting system in place to help with this. And communication is key for both the process and achieving the desired outcomes. Make sure all employees understand that reports are not just welcomed, but actively investigated and dealt with when necessary.

3 – Distractions - If you want to create a safe workplace, you need to limit distractions. It can be hard to stay focused when there's a lot going on, but it's important to stay alert in dangerous areas or during tasks that could be risky if something goes wrong. For example, in a hospital, measuring medications is a critical task where even a small mistake can have big consequences. To help prevent accidents, healthcare systems can set up no-interruption zones in medicine-dispensing areas. In a manufacturing plant, you can put up a barrier or "red zone" around dangerous machinery or chemicals. By setting off-limits areas or rules of engagement for certain tasks, you can help make sure everyone stays safe on the job.

4 – Staffing issues - If you're understaffed, it can lead to a lot of problems. Your employees will be stressed, tired, and distracted, which can lead to mistakes. You should try to limit the number of hours your employees work in a week or day, and hire more workers if possible. Giving your employees breaks, or access to rest areas or destress rooms, can also help them stay refreshed on long shifts.

5 – Training - Training is key to ensuring that your employees are knowledgeable about your company's safety policies and procedures. Give them the rules and expectations in writing, with specific guidelines for each role in the organization. It's also important to educate them on what a positive safety culture looks like, why it's important, and what will happen if they don't comply. The more information you provide, the more likely they are to get on board with the new safety culture.

Course outline

Alertforce’s Safety barrier training course is designed to help organisations improve their safety performance by providing a clear and concise framework for managing safety barriers. The course covers the essential elements of safety barrier management, including barrier identification, assessment, control and monitoring. It also includes practical exercises and case studies to help organisations put the theory into practice.

This course is designed to create safer workplaces.

  Learning form

Safety barrier course participants are encouraged to watch the videos and engage in group discussions after each video is finished. Facilitators and participants can review the key points from each video and module using the provided support material.

There are many ways to view and participate in discussions.

• E-learning Format
• Face-to face safety meetings
• Forum
• Email

Participants can upload the training videos to e-learning and view them online. Participants can review the support material online and answer any questions.

Face-to-face safety meetings allow participants to watch videos and participate in discussions. Face-to-face meetings allow for greater interaction and engagement, but can be logistically challenging.

You can also upload the videos to a forum. Participants can access the videos and other support materials via a private forum, company website, or by uploading them to a forum. Each module contains the answers to your questions.

You can also complete the course via email. Participants can email their answers to the discussion questions once they have watched the videos.

No matter how the material is delivered, all participants should have access to it. The support material includes discussion questions as well as the video script. Participants can use the questions to explore the effects of safety practices on their organization.

The modules also include scripts and reference materials. These materials allow participants to review and research the key points of the lesson.

Facilitators and participants can use the video scripts and questions to help them create an action plan. Participants can take specific steps and make suggestions to use the plan in their work environment.