to ask how to change a work culture?

[CharlieRight]

I manage a factory overseas, the country has a completely different culture to the west and part of that is the approach to safety in general: seat belts, motorcycle helmets, baby seats - 'what are they?'

Every time I go onto the workshop floor I have to stop people and tell them to put gloves/ safety glasses/ bump caps on, don't leave tools there, clear that trip hazard etc it is exhausting and it feels like I am just there to pick on them plus it feels like all I achieve is to train them to get better at looking out for me.

How can I develop a culture which is conscientious with regard to safety (and I believe that it will carry over to other aspects of work)?
I have tried various things from my old workplaces like asking them to spot x number of hazards each morning, leading team based risk assessments in each workstation - but it is like pulling teeth. Fines are an option but I don't like the idea of messing with peoples' salaries.

Any advice?

There is carrot and there is stick.

Oh god I don't envy you this task. It's like telling a smoker to quit smoking because it's bad for their health - they already know this. They have to want to change or see it happening en mass, especially if changing requires extra work with no immediate benefit or penalty.

Not helpful at all, but interested to see what others think.

Fines would do wonders! Add in surprise spot checks with a deduction from wage ticket issued there and then. I bet in 30 days the uptake to wearing correct PPE would be staggering.

Toss in an employee of the month system for those who do adhere to it with a bonus system.

I'm guessing there's few or no laws around safety in the workplace where this factory is?

Can you use any UK training materials in group training for your staff?

Have you impressed upon them what injuries they risk and the implications to their families if they were hurt?

I've seen some images of injuries that certainly hammer a safety message home!

I would agree with fines and bonuses. Do the first month as fictional fines (ie this is what you would have lost if it was live) and then go live the following month. Bonuses with effect immediately. (Do you have annual objective settings that link to bonuses or pay rises etc? If so, link these all to safety for a year.)

Some training with really graphic examples for the shock factor.

Get a few "champions" you trust to do it well and have them monitor and implement when you aren't there.

My reply seems wildly out of touch with these responses - fines 😱??
Do we even know what country this is in - I think that's important.
Imagine being in traffic control in the UK, then trying to implement our rules in a country that's massively different to our own, where no one follows what we would consider safe driving?

I think it requires a more nuance response than this.

Can you hold a couple of workshop type sessions which highlight the potential repercussions of their actions/inactions in regard to safety? Videos of workshop accidents etc.

Posters around the shop floor highlighting things like the Swiss cheese effect. You would need to change the posters/move them around every so often so that they don't just become part of the decor that nobody actually "sees".

A good suggestion from a PP is definitely to get a couple of "champions" on board, people respond better to their peers than from higher up on things like this.

They all need to undergo an equivalent of health and safety training day tailored to the local environment. A structured session. With some real life examples, ideally from that particular country, of past accidents.
So they understand exactly what is required.
Then you can implement a fine system. Although you can't take the fines out of their wages. If there is a list of work benefits they all qualify for (free daily fresh fruit or annual team day out or etc), deduct from there.

Train them, make it contractual to follow the rules, monitor them and then give them consequences for not following the rules.

Easiest is to go in hard ar first and then they will start to comply. Do you have support from your seniors to implement what is effectively a change for them?

I would puck off one element of H and S at a time Ppe i would check their ppe on the way into work, do they clock in? If so I would stand there with spare ppe and check they are wearing all needed for the job. Every day consistently.

What consequences do you have available to you, warnings / final warnings / negligence etc or can they be sent home unpaid. Whatever it is you will need to use it till it sinks in. It's a matter of first getting some to comply then most to.

Most of the responses here are answering the question: how do I make them do it?

Your question actually was: how do I change the culture? that’s a lot harder . Especially as this isn’t a specific company culture but the culture of the country you are in

If you want to change the culture then you have to work out how to get them to change their beliefs about risk and the value they place on safety. Also as the foreign manager I don’t think you trying to impose this is likely to get much traction. I’d be looking out for the workers and local managers who seem most receptive to change. You need to take time to understand current beliefs and attitudes in this country - why don’t they think what they are doing so dangerous, or if they do agree it’s dangerous, why is that OK? Local people interested in change will help massively with that.

What do discussions about safety look like in this country eg online or in media? Who advocates for measures we take for granted and what arguments do they use?

Appeal to their self interest and sense of community. Talk about actual accidents that have happened on your workplace or other local workplaces . The impact that has had on the individuals. Focus on how making the place safer is how they look out for each other.

Then find the local “champions” and get them to lead this change. Make it something that’s their idea, not your idea. Encourage them to come up with their own ideas for making the factory a safer place to work. Their own reasons why that’s a good idea.

right now they are just doing this cos you say so, and that’s never going to stick

Who are your influencers - local managers, religious/community leaders?

why wouldn’t they want to be safer? Does it affect productivity ? are line managers not taking it seriously? How can you incentivise them?

what visible signal do you have? Can you have a whiteboard with number of times someone in that team has had to be reminded each day and first team to zero reminders in a day wins something? Is it talked about in huddles every day? How are new starters trained? What stories do you tell to reinforce a safety first culture?

who is celebrated and promoted? How do you make it part of your criteria for over time/better shifts/promotion that you have to have a good safety record?

most recently tried a big speech about how they only get one body and it’s got to last, no fun getting old and not being able to pick up grandkids or see them, sort of thing. I will try images of injuries, I remember the first time I saw a a picture of a degloving injury, it is effective

Thank you. You are right I am pretty sure I could implement some of the suggestions given by others and see an improvement (and I think I may) but I’d much prefer it to be natural so that they are continuously aware and assessing their risks hopefully even complaining that they want better gloves for that task or other. Right now we could say don’t put your left hand in there and a few hours later have to explain it also applies to the right one.
I don’t think we can have fines and disciplinary action without a list of prohibited activities and it’s impossible to come up with an exhaustive list of things not to do under current circumstances.

If there is not a culture of health and safety in the country then it is hard for them. Have they actually had any training or just you telling them? If they have not had proper training then you cannot impose fines.

I wanted to give an update, because it seems like we have turned a corner and I am quietly pleased.
Based on some of the advice from here and elsewhere here is what we did:
Planned a big day of safety, we stopped the factory completely on the 24th of Feb and I arranged for the group safety manager to come to site.
We got all of the shop floor into the training room. I gave a presentation with the tone of if you don't know what is expected how can you do the right thing wrt safety and went on to give them a list of 10 safe behaviours that were expected emphasizing that they are each responsible for themselves and other's behaviour. I also introduced a safety bonus scheme of 5% on top of wages which they would earn as a team by everyone sticking to the behaviours.
Then the group safety manager did a presentation, which was more detailed and covered some company policies and legislation
The I asked everyone to take a break then return to their normal workstations and walk through the jobs they do in the areas and consider risks and what near misses they had seen/had in their work. While they were doing that the workshop supervisor, Safety manager and I walked from station to station and discussed safety and risks with the operators, trying to keep it grass roots taking on board any issues. This took most of the day and was mentally exhausting. Afterwards we had a wrap up meeting with thanks for engaging so well and I made the point that we had lost about $100k in revenue by doing this but if it prevented any more injuries it would be money well spent.
We fixed any issues in each of the work stations and made little posters to advertise what we had improved.
Since then we have done some "stop the job is that the safest way to do what you are doing that?" huddles, which were quite positive and worthwhile.

I did have to dock them 2 percent from the bonus but now a month or so later I do feel like it is a safer and better environment.

Well done and congratulations.! You must be really pleased with the changes so far.

That is brilliant: well done!

Well done OP.