Being a Safety Mentor Keeps Everyone Safe
A hardworking person can have a powerful influence on their team, especially when they are working with someone who is new to the job or to the company. As the co-worker of a new employee, consider yourself the most important role model during their first few weeks.
Your attitude and your respect of policies and safety procedures could save a co-worker or a guest from an accident or serious injury. Keep reading for more information on being a safety mentor.
Be a Safety Mentor
You know that the workplace in the hospitality and recreation industry is full of hazards, both for employees and guests. Our workplace has stressed the importance of taking extra steps to keep our premises as safe as possible and we’ve given you a wealth of knowledge about the risks of the job and ways to stay safe. When you are working around others, especially if they are new to our workplace, it is your turn to share that knowledge to protect them, our customers and yourself.
It may take a while for new employees to adjust and feel like they fit in on the job. Those that have never held a job before or were employed by an organization with a weak safety program will need considerable safety instruction and leadership.
While managers will attempt to train them in workplace safety as thoroughly as possible, employees will naturally look to you for advice and information. Their early impressions of the way you value safety will set the stage for their future work habits.
Actions Speak Louder than Words
In this important transition time, your actions will speak louder than your words. If you cut corners to save time when working with dangerous tools, for example, you demonstrate to a new employee that safety is not important. When you do not follow safety procedures, you are ultimately putting in danger new employees that are learning from and imitating you—and the guests whose safety is in their hands.
On the other hand, some new employees may come from organizations that emphasize safety like we do. In that case, their personal respect for you will grow when they see that you care about workplace safety just as much as they do.
You are aware that accidents are a reality in workplaces like ours. Take care to be sure that your new co-workers are aware of the danger, too. Doing so will keep everyone at your worksite safe.
Everyone will be safer when you make a good impression on a new employee, so do your part. Now is your chance to inspire.
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