You make decisions every week that impact your company's bottom line. When workplace safety becomes just another compliance checkbox, you're putting your people and your profitability at risk. This guide will cover what a culture of safety looks like, why it's essential, and how you can help create one.
What does a culture of safety look like?
A positive safety culture isn't just a set of rules—it's when safety becomes part of your organization's DNA. It's the shared beliefs, practices, and attitudes throughout your company that prioritize wellbeing alongside productivity.
Unlike traditional safety programs that focus on compliance and rules, a true safety culture is characterized by:
- Proactive identification of risks before incidents occur
- Employees at all levels feel empowered to raise concerns
- Learning and improvement following incidents rather than blame
- Leadership decisions that consistently prioritize human well-being
The business case for safety culture
The financial impact of workplace injuries is staggering—over $171 billion annually for U.S. businesses, according to the National Safety Council. Most executives understand the direct costs of neglecting safety—hiked insurance premiums, workers' comp claims, and regulatory fines. But the indirect costs often go unrecognized:- Productivity losses from absent workers and investigations
- Administrative burden on management and HR
- Training and onboarding replacement workers
- Damaged equipment and materials
- Schedule delays and missed deliverables
- Diminished employee morale and engagement
How you can help develop a culture of safety
Building a positive safety culture requires more than simply establishing rules and procedures. Research shows that successful safety cultures share four critical elements:
1. Commitment from leadership (that's you)
Visible leadership commitment is the cornerstone of safety culture. When executives consistently prioritize safety through their actions, decisions, and resource allocation, it signals to the entire organization that safety is truly a core value, not just a checkbox. As a C-Suite leader, your personal engagement sets the tone for the entire organization.Action steps you can take today:
- Add safety as a standing agenda item in executive and board meetings
- Allocate 15 minutes weekly to observe safety practices
- Personally review safety metrics alongside financial KPIs in quarterly business reviews
- Include safety outcomes in your executive team's performance evaluations
2. Empower middle management
Frontline supervisors and middle managers are the critical link between safety strategy and daily operations. They translate leadership vision into practical application and reinforce safety standards moment by moment. These key personnel need both the authority to enforce safety standards and the skills to influence safe behaviors effectively.Action steps you can take today:
- Provide managers with a dedicated safety budget they control
- Include specific safety leadership competencies in management development programs
- Train managers on effective safety conversations
- Create a peer forum where managers can share safety challenges and solutions quarterly
3. Structure
Strong safety cultures don't rely on individual vigilance alone. They're built on thoughtfully designed systems that guide behavior—things like communication channels, reporting mechanisms, and accountability frameworks.
Action steps you can take today:- Conduct quarterly safety perception surveys to identify emerging concerns
- Implement a "stop work" authority policy that empowers any employee to halt unsafe operations
- Design standardized job safety analyses for high-risk tasks across the organization
- Develop a recognition program that rewards proactive hazard identification rather than just incident-free periods
4. Support from a PEO
As an executive, you already have a lot on your plate. And while there is a lot you could do to improve safety culture—what do you actually have time for?
Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) help improve all aspects of managing your workforce, including safety and risk management. They are a great option to improve safety without having to hire an in-house safety consultant.
Taking the next step
The signs of a poor safety culture are easy to spot:
- Low employee engagement
- Inconsistent training and PPE use
- Poor incident communication
- Cultural resistance
But, by implementing the four critical areas of improvement, I've helped many businesses improve their safety practices, culture, and outcomes. If you're interested in working with a PEO, check out PRO Resources. With us, you get access to experts in all aspects of HR, including safety and risk management. Our ROI calculator can help you determine up front if working with PRO will save you money. No strings (or marketing emails) attached.
About the Author:
David Martinson is a Safety Consultant at PRO Resources with over 25 years of experience in leadership and safety. By combining emotional engagement with intellectual stimulation, he aims to create a culture of safety that is both heartfelt and well-reasoned to empower people to become advocates for safety.