All engineers – where it’s a plumber, electrician, or HVAC installation specialist – should be aware of how important safety in the workplace is. It’s also important for teams to regularly keep up to date on health and safety, particularly when working in a variety of domestic and commercial environments, where hazards can change on a job-by-job basis. To achieve this, engineering firms need to think about the best ways to talk about safety, when to bring the topic up, and how to implement safety consistency in everything they do. Here’s how:
Create a workplace talking point around safety
Everybody involved professionally in heating and cooling repair, air conditioning repair or HVAC installation has a duty to get involved in the safety process. While nobody enjoys simply sitting in a room and being lectured on how they can perform tasks more safely, it’s worth understanding that collaborative efforts – where engineers work together as a family and discuss health and safety – can work much better.
That’s not to say that managers don’t have the responsibility to ensure team members are actively engaging in safe working practices – they do. However, it’s a good idea to create an environment that encourages the participation of workers in safety discussions. According to statistics from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the US Department of Labor, worker participation is paramount when it comes to the <a href=”https://www.osha.gov/shpguidelines/worker-participation.html”>successful implementation of safety programs</a>.
Daily or weekly safety huddles can help to keep safety at the forefront of the minds of all engineers – it’s something every engineering business should strive to do.
Regularly share safety content
Company newsletters and in-house emails are great ways to keep staff on-point with all the latest health and safety information. Sharing safety-related content on social media pages also helps demonstrate to existing and potential customers that a business is safety-conscious. After all, safety isn’t only important to engineers – it’s important to the consumer, too. They’ll be the ones making the most of the engineering work that has taken place.
Regular safety coaching/positive feedback
Peer-to-peer coaching to go over the basics of engineering safety is a great idea. Positive feedback can also work wonders – for example, observing when employees have adhered to safety regulations (such as wearing gloves while working with bleach or another potentially hazardous chemical) and praising them for it.
Studies suggest that positive feedback is much better at helping to reinforce proper behaviors in comparison to negative feedback (for example, reprimanding an employee for failing to adhere to safety guidelines).
Staying on top of workplace safety is a must. By following these guidelines (and making adjustments where necessary), companies and their employees can keep safety at the top of their minds – where it should always be.
If you require an HVAC engineer or are searching for “plumbers near me”, you’ll want to ensure that the company you pick is well-versed on health and safety in all environments. As a family business, we’re extra cautious and take all the steps to ensure you and your family remain safe too.