Safety Performance Appraisals
Do You Include Safety in Performance Appraisals?
If you were to walk out into the workplace and ask a random employee the following questions:
- "Can you describe to me what your safety duties are under the WHS Act?"
- "Can you describe to me our organisation's Work Health and Safety Policy?"
Chances are you will be met with a blank stare followed by a wall of silence.
For a crucial area such safety, surely such answers are not acceptable.
Traditional performance reviews may measure productivity and quality, but is safety a consideration? A “Safety Performance Appraisal” focuses on what employees have done during the review period to help prevent incidents in the workplace. It also helps employees understand the importance of safety.
In this post we share another way to get safety engrained in people’s minds:
10 Safety Performance Questions you should ask every employee during performance appraisals
Safety Performance Question #1
What safety accomplishment(s) are you most proud of?
Starting off on a positive note helps employees shake off any nerves and feel more comfortable opening up during the rest of the meeting.
Safety Performance Question #2
Describe to me the safety issues you have raised and followed through on to completion.
No employee should be able to just dump issues on somebody else’s desk believing they have “done their job”.
Safety Performance Question #3
What can I do to help you improve safety in your area?
While it’s true that your employee is the main focus of the appraisal, your leadership is a major factor in their success or shortcomings. Take advantage of this meeting and ask for honest feedback on your guidance.
Safety Performance Question #4
Do you have the resources and tools you need to safely perform your job? Explain your answer.
Potentially one of the most constructive performance appraisal questions at your disposal, this discussion can generate immediate plans for how you, other employees, or the company as a whole could contribute to stronger performances from your employee.
Safety Performance Question #5
What are your safety goals for the next six months/year?
Identifying and discussing measurable benchmarks gives your employee a clear path for achieving success at his/her next performance appraisal. Be ready as well to discuss what you believe should be included in your employee’s short and long-term goals.
Safety Performance Question #6
Describe our organisation's Work Health and Safety Policy.
Employees should know the organisation’s commitment to safety and how this applies to them. How else can they comply with safety policies?
Safety Performance Question #7
Describe to me 4 key areas in the WHS legislation and how these are implemented at work.
For example: Duties of Stakeholders, Consultation, Risk Management, Training & Information. Just to name a few. This helps employees understand why the organisation is doing what is does and think about potential areas of improvement.
Safety Performance Question #8
Describe to me your WHS duties under the legislation and how you implement these at work.
Employees need to know what they are legally responsible for. This will increase their understanding of the importance of adherence to safety policies.
Safety Performance Question #9
What would you change about our current safety processes and practices?
This is a great opportunity for employees to formally raise any safety concerns and help build pathways for improvement.
Safety Performance Question #10
Is there any safety process, practice or training that you would like to see implemented?
Any suggestions made by your employee must be followed through on. Timely feedback must be given. A lack of feedback will give the employee the impression that the company or you, is not serious about safety. Poor feedback can destroy years of good work overnight.