I recently saw a sign that read “In case of fire, exit the workplace before tweeting about it.” While it made me laugh, I had to wonder if it was really a joke. We are living in a time when so many things are vying for our attention, and I don’t think we can overstate the importance of being mindful at work, especially as it relates to our own safety and the safety of those around us.
There is a domino effect here when it comes to safety in the workplace. Safe workplaces produce happy and productive employees and happy employees produce satisfied customers. Creating and maintaining a safe work environment is entirely up to you. If you adopt a safety mindset and you develop and adhere to the guidelines and rules of your business, the rest of your team will follow suit and you will create a culture of safety where everybody wins.
Safety Mindset
Let’s start with what the safety mindset looks like. A safety mindset is simply an attitude and focus that promotes safety for yourself and others. Having a safety mindset means that you don’t cut corners just to save time, because cutting corners eventually leads to an erosion of workplace safety.
Having a safety mindset could also be called having “safety eyes.” If you have “safety eyes” at work, you’ll be aware of things like:
- Checking hazard labels on chemical containers.
- Reviewing safety procedures before operating equipment or performing maintenance.
- Stopping yourself from taking a safety shortcut.
Perhaps you have not developed your “safety eyes” yet, but I bet you could probably name someone at your carwash who has. They probably do everything listed above and they also tend to help others improve their own safety habits. You may even get frustrated with this person, because they insist on following the safety rules even though you’ve got a long line of customers or a piece of equipment has broken, the car wash is down and you need to get up and running fast.
If you adopt a safety mindset and you develop and adhere to the guidelines and rules of your business, the rest of your team will follow suit and you will create a culture of safety where everybody wins.
While all this safety stuff might be irritating, that person actually has the right attitude. Not only do they have a solid safety mindset, they are also encouraging a culture of safety.
Culture of Safety
There is a clear connection between a safety mindset and a culture of safety. If you’ve ever heard someone on the job say, “Well that’s just the way we do things around here,” they are likely referring to the culture that has been established at their carwash. While some rules are written, many are simply adopted due to a particular culture. With respect to safety, that culture could mean the difference between life and death. The more employees who have the right mindset, the more likely your carwash will have an overall culture of safety. Workplaces with a good safety culture will have fewer accidents and injuries and a great team environment.
Maintaining this culture includes making sure employees understand the safety rules, setting the tone for all employees, and encouraging employees to help and coach each other.
Employee Obligations
All carwash employees have individual obligations related to safety, including:
- Adhering to federal, state and local safety laws.
- Understanding that management and the owners have implemented these rules to keep everyone safe at work.
- Keeping each other, and the entire team, safe at work by insisting that everyone follow the rules.
- Staying safe for the sake of your family and the people who care about you.
To benefit from a safe car wash working environment, everyone needs to understand the rules and actively participate in developing and maintaining a safety mindset. A safety mindset is an attitude and focus that promotes safety for yourself and the entire team, which results in a safety culture that becomes the high standard for how things are done. We can only achieve this when the majority of the team has adopted a safety mindset.
This interview is an excerpt from “The How of Car Washing” podcast. For the complete interview, please visit www.thehowofcarwashing.com.
For more information and tips on operating a successful carwash, we invite you to listen to The How of Car Washing podcast and the Car Wash Manager’s Minute. The How of Car Washing podcast is a free on-demand audio program focused on helping you start, operate and grow your car wash business and you can find it at www.thehowofcarwashing.com.
