Why Engagement Is the Missing Link in Safety Culture

When safety programs fail to engage employees at all levels—especially the frontlines—compliance fades, momentum stalls, and lasting improvement becomes nearly impossible.

• By Shawn M. Galloway
• Jul 14, 2025

As safety professionals and leaders, when we have exhausted our ability to engineer out risks, we understandably shift our focus to policies, procedures, hazard assessments, and personal protective equipment. The key to success in advancing safety, including engineering controls, is often an overlooked factor: engagement. Without it, even the most thoughtfully designed safety systems struggle.

I've witnessed countless launch events where leadership rolls out new safety protocols or cultural programs. Initially, excitement and commitment are high. Leaders emphasize months of preparation, rally the team, and set ambitious goals. Yet, within months, around 70% of these initiatives fail to produce lasting results. Why? The answer boils down to a lack of engagement.

A Culture of Shared Ownership

If employees, managers, or leaders don’t genuinely care—or actively resist—progress stalls. Some see new procedures as burdensome, others feel overwhelmed, and many become disengaged, viewing initiatives as just another passing fad. Implementation without engagement is like driving a car with flat tires: you might get there eventually, but it will be slow, bumpy, and potentially damaging.

For safety efforts to deliver sustainable success, cultivating a culture of ownership—where everyone takes personal responsibility—is essential. Successful initiatives motivate discretionary effort—employees opting to exceed expectations because they believe in the mission and recognize the personal value it holds. When individuals are personally invested, safety becomes ingrained in everyday, unprompted behaviors rather than a basic requirement.

The Ripple Effect of Engagement

Engagement is contagious. When safety efforts resonate, workers take pride in their contributions, management builds confidence, and a proactive safety culture takes root. Conversely, failed initiatives breed cynicism and resistance, allowing hazards and risks to persist. Every failed initiative deepens disengagement, and every success boost morale and motivation. Therefore, engagement isn’t a secondary concern, it’s a strategic lever.

Beyond Metrics: What Really Matters

Success isn’t just about incident reductions or compliance reports. Those are merely outcomes, not the true indicators of effort or belief. Forced compliance, driven by fear or punishment, may yield temporary results but fosters resentment and superficial adherence. Over time, disengagement resurfaces, jeopardizing safety performance. Leaders should consistently ask: Will this enhance engagement? And how will we measure it? If you can’t demonstrate genuine, observable increases in engagement, it’s time to reevaluate your approach.

Two Levels of Organizational Progress

Organizational progress in safety can be understood on two interconnected levels: achieving tangible goals, such as reducing injuries and improving compliance, and fostering increased engagement, where employees feel genuinely involved, valued, and committed to safety efforts. Ideally, safety initiatives should further both objectives simultaneously. Merely completing a project or meeting specific safety metrics without nurturing authentic engagement results in hollow victories that lack long-term sustainability. Conversely, even modest improvements combined with high levels of motivation and ownership among employees tend to yield more meaningful and lasting safety outcomes, ultimately strengthening the organization’s culture and resilience over time.

The Frontlines and Subcultures: The Critical Leverage Point

Everyone has subcultures. How well are they aligned with the overall culture? Are there different acceptable and unacceptable safety practices within these subcultures? Is that acceptable? To understand the potential number of subcultures within your organization, consider how many frontline supervisors you have. While top leadership establishes the organization's strategic goals, it is the frontline supervisors who truly drive daily engagement or disengagement. These supervisors work directly with employees each shift, shaping behaviors, attitudes, and morale more than anyone else. Their unique leadership and engagement style sets the tone for what is important and how decisions are made. If there is one place to position the fulcrum to enhance engagement, it is in the relationship between frontline employees and their immediate supervisor.

Discretionary Effort: The Real Indicator of Safety Performance

Sustainable safety performance and cultures depend on discretionary effort—employees voluntarily prioritizing safety, reporting hazards, and looking out for one another. This level of effort stems from genuine engagement. Conversely, programs driven solely by mandates or coercion—what I call “compliance by force”—may yield immediate results but are rarely sustainable and almost always foster underlying disengagement. Over time, this erodes trust, reduces motivation, and leads to the potential for unsafe behaviors when oversight is lacking.

The Path Forward

Engagement isn’t optional; it’s the foundation of a sustainable culture of safety excellence. Without it, well-meaning programs risk losing effectiveness, producing temporary compliance instead of lasting change. When employees are engaged, safety becomes a shared value—integral to daily operations, personal pride, and organizational resilience.

As safety leaders, we should focus on fostering an environment where every individual feels connected, valued, and motivated to actively participate in safety efforts. The key isn’t just to enforce rules but to inspire a mindset where safety becomes second nature—an intrinsic part of workplace culture.

The Payoff?

A genuinely engaged workforce not only reduces incidents and enhances compliance but also fosters a proactive safety environment where employees support one another, communicate about hazards, and take personal responsibility for safety. This level of discretionary effort truly drives sustainable safety performance and organizational excellence.

Remember: the journey toward a culture of safety excellence begins with engagement. Leadership at all levels must prioritize building trust, empowering supervisors, and fostering a sense of ownership among frontline employees. Ultimately, your safety success depends on it. When everyone is genuinely committed—when engagement drives daily behaviors—safety evolves from being merely a policy into a core value, shared commitment and ultimately shared ownership, forming the foundation of a healthier, more resilient organization.