Safety Strategies Highlight Role of Workers in Reducing Hazards
Workplace experts say engaging workers as mentors, safety leads and decision-makers fosters accountability and a stronger culture of safety.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Aug 27, 2025
Giving employees a stronger voice in workplace safety can help prevent injuries and foster a culture of accountability, according to new guidance from safety specialists.
The approach centers on three pillars: encouraging workers to speak up, giving them meaningful roles, and trusting them to make decisions that affect their own well-being.
One strategy is to keep safety meetings small — no more than five to ten people — to help employees feel comfortable raising concerns. Some organizations also reward workers for reporting hazards and involve them in testing new personal protective equipment.
Assigning workers as safety “point persons” or mentors for new hires can embed safety into daily operations, while designating “PPE ambassadors” helps create peer-to-peer buy-in on protective gear use.
Experts also note that giving employees choices—such as selecting from two or three approved PPE options—can increase compliance by fostering ownership. Allowing brief “safety time-outs” for workers to pause and reassess tasks reinforces the idea that safety is never secondary to production goals.
The strategies were outlined in a recent article from Magid Glove, which emphasized that empowering employees can unlock new perspectives and motivate them to look out for themselves and colleagues.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco is the Content Editor for OH&S.