The Power of Peer Feedback to Prevent SIFs

By Josh Williams, Ph.D.

Peer-to-peer safety feedback is an integral way to improve safety culture and prevent serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs). Unfortunately, employees often fail to speak up when they observe coworkers’ risky behaviors even though they want to. Survey research shows that more than 90% of respondents believe employees

Giving and receiving peer-to-peer safety feedback can be difficult.

Employees may be reluctant to give safety feedback because they’ve never done it before, think it’s a supervisor’s (or safety person’s) job, question their own knowledge of the coworker’s job, lack confidence in their ability to provide good feedback, or because others may question their true intentions.

Here are some considerations for providing effective safety feedback:

• Give it one-on-one and right away.
• Be friendly, positive and respectful.
• Focus on the safety behavior and don’t make it personal.
• Focus on risk potential, not safety rules.
• Don’t lecture the person about safety rules. Ask questions to facilitate discussion.
• Show genuine concern for others’ feelings and well-being.
• Work together to find better solutions.
• Thank the person for listening.

It’s easier to provide effective feedback when you’re known for receiving it well. Effective communicators are also good listeners. They listen for both emotion and content to understand where the person is coming from. They also reflect back what the speaker is saying to show understanding ( “So what you’re saying is…” ).

When receiving safety feedback, effective listeners:

• Actively listen and remain receptive.
• Accept feedback without getting defensive or harboring resentment.
• Collaborate on potential solutions and reach agreements on actions to take.
• Thank the person for taking the time to give this feedback.

Beyond increasing corrective feedback, it is also important to consider the power of recognition to increase safe work practices. This feedback should be authentic and given one-on-one. Recognizing people for safe work practices increases the probability these work practices will be performed safely in the future and builds a more open and positive safety culture.

The best safety communicators have these verbal habits. Try them in your day-to-day interactions with employees:

1. Be assertive, confident, and action-oriented. Express opinions directly and honestly. Use stories when appropriate to convey positions or establish rapport.
2. Show respect for others’ opinions. Listen carefully and thank others for their input. Solicit opinions and ideas from others when making decisions. Communicate with choices instead of demands. Request feedback after sharing ideas and opinions.
3. Confront problems as soon as they occur. Address the person directly. Don’t let negative feelings build up.
4. Share information about yourself. Sincere disclosures engender trust and liking. Ask others about themselves and how they’re doing. Spend more time getting to know others. Active caring increases trust, liking, respect and morale.
5. Speak constructively and positively. Don’t negatively gossip about others. Spread positive gossip.

At Propulo, we help organizations foster a culture of actively caring through ongoing, effective peer-to-peer safety feedback.