Ensuring a positive occupational health and safety culture at the organisational level

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on businesses, regardless of the sector they operate in, and the long-term recovery is still unclear. The pandemic has led businesses, large and small, to analyze more carefully the environment and the way their employees work. Although OSH requirements have been in place for many years, the pandemic has helped increase recognition of the importance of worker safety, health and well-being in any workplace. Organizations' human and financial resources are increasingly limited. As a result, the available resources must be used economically and efficiently, to avoid, eliminate or control the dangers and risks derived from them. Managers direct all activities of an enterprise and the results contribute to its safety culture. Safety is driven by culture, and management creates organizational culture, so everything that happens or does not happen in terms of safety practice is a reflection of an organization's culture. Sustainable growth encourages organizations to continuously improve all aspects of their business. In the vast majority of organizations, there is no advanced safety culture, so convincing management that safety should be one of the organization's core values is a must-achieve.