When we think of core values, we usually associate them with moral values. But when it comes to creating a safety culture, it’s important to develop core values that prioritize employee safety adherence, knowledge, and proactive risk elimination. It’s also helpful to pair your core values with recognition to incentivize employees to participate in your core value program.

Achieving a goal is motivating, but recognizing employees is even more powerful. It’s important to publicly acknowledge employees who exceed expectations in upholding your core values and safety culture.

Make recognition a regular feature of your monthly safety meetings. Share how employees have contributed to safety and core values, and how this has positively impacted your dealership.

To further incentivize employees, you may offer physical rewards like reasonable time off, money, or gift cards.

It’s important for employees to be aware of and fully understand any safety or reward programs in place. Employees can’t get involved in a program the don’t know exists!

Make sure to communicate these programs clearly and emphasize the recognition and rewarding of actions that promote a safer work environment. And, make sure you avoid solely focusing on accidents or safety incidents, as this may discourage full engagement from employees.

To build a robust safety culture in your dealership, it’s essential to prioritize safety and promote it consistently. This can be accomplished by ensuring that your dealership and employees are meeting fundamental safety standards, such as providing sufficient training and adhering to OSHA regulations. Additionally, it’s imperative to make your safety records accessible and visible to emphasize the significance of safety to your employees.

When companies fall behind in their safety compliance, have outdated materials, or blame their employees for injury rates, employees notice. This can lead to a negative attitude towards safety.

To truly establish a strong safety culture, start from the top and engage all levels of your dealership, from executive management down to temporary workers.

Finally, back up your safety program with actions that demonstrate your dealership’s dedication to safety.