1. Employee Empowerment and
Creating a Safety Culture
By: Chris Chaparro

2. What a safety culture is not!
It’s not one employee doing all the work
It’s not one supervisor doing all the work
It’s not just the safety office and safety officers
It’s not just a program made or committees

3. A safety culture consist of
many eyes that find safety
hazards and provide
solutions.
A safety culture does not
consist of one set of eyes
looking for safety
hazards.

4. Building a Safety Culture. Where are we at?
• Obtain Top Management "Buy-in"
• Continue Building "Buy-in"
• Build Trust
• Conduct Self Assessments/Bench Marking
• Initial Training
• Establish a Steering Committee
• Develop Site Safety Vision
• Align the Organization
• Define Specific Roles
• Develop a System of Accountability
• Develop Measures
• Develop Policies for Recognition,
• Awareness Training and Kick-off
• Implement Process Changes, Continually Measure performance,
Communicate Results, and Celebrate Successes.
• On-going Support

5. Safety Commitment Letter
Supervisor play their part by training their employees and
teaching them all the hazards and safety regulations needed
to conduct safe warehouse operations on a daily basis.
The supervisor and employee create their own safety
commitment letter that will show their vision and help
guide them to finding a safety culture.

6. Employee empowerment
+
Ownership
________________
Creates Self-accountability
Creating additional safety task that are assigned to an
employee and conducted daily is foundation of building a
safety culture.

7. Duties that can be assigned:
Work Site Inspection Safety Officer (ISO)
• Outside ISO
• Ramps, Slopes, and Grade ISO
• Debris and Soil Conditions ISO
• Overhead Objects ISO
MHE Inspection Safety Officer (ISO)
• Preventive Maintenance ISO
• Speed and Unsafe Acts ISO
• MHE Parking Area ISO

8. The name “Inspection Safety Officer (ISO)” and the
examples provide are suggestion for additional task that can
be assigned to an employees that will allow ownership of a
safety related task.
This would also allow the employee to attend specific
classes to help enhance their knowledge of the additional
safety task they own.
Safety is not a program but a culture; those who believe in
their culture own it; and those that own their culture live it.

9. Creating a Safety Culture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBVuu4Qj-Fs
7 ways to build a safety culture
• http://workplacepossibilities.com/blog/7-ways-to-build-a-safety-
culture/
7 Keys for Creating a Safety Culture
• http://aubreydaniels.com/blog/2013/01/23/7-keys-for-creating-a-
safety-culture/
Creating a Safety culture
• https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/safetyhealth/mod4_factsheets_cul
ture.html