Have your new safety initiatives stalled? 6 ways to keep the momentum going

Sam, a local service station owner, spent two months developing an electronic hazard and incident reporting form to replace his store’s old paper form, which was often incomplete or improperly filled out.

The new form could be completed on a computer, smartphone, or tablet and submitted directly to Sam, giving him clearer visibility into incidents and a stronger ability to take preventative action.

Excited about the improvement, Sam met with his staff to explain the benefits. He felt confident that everyone was on board.

However, after launching the form, Sam noticed a major issue: He wasn’t receiving any reports (even though he knew incidents were still happening).

So, what went wrong?

“Although Sam had a great idea, he forgot a critical piece of the puzzle,” says Ayden Robertson, a WSPS senior health and safety consultant. “He didn’t involve workers and supervisors during its development.”

If he had, he would have learned that only some workers have access to the work computer. He would have also discovered that many found the new form complicated and confusing. “If Sam had gotten this feedback earlier, he could have developed a more user-friendly approach,” notes Ayden.

Sam’s story illustrates how despite time and effort, some health and safety programs can grind to a halt or fall short of meeting expectations. “In my experience, workplaces are great at launching new or updated health and safety programs or initiatives, but momentum and sustainability can prove challenging to maintain,” says Ayden. 

Falling short of the goal with any health and safety initiative is not only a frustrating setback, but it can also have serious implications. It could mean a continuation of injuries or illnesses or an inability to demonstrate compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its associated regulations.

Ensuring your health and safety program is clearly understood and supported by staff is especially important right now. The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) is actively visiting retail locations across the province through two compliance campaigns aimed at reducing workplace injuries and illnesses.

Inspectors are focused on common retail hazards — particularly manual material handling and ladder use — and checking that work practices and administrative procedures are in line with OHSA requirements. 

Inspections run until March 31, 2027 and may occur with little or no notice. Businesses that employ new, young, or temporary help agency workers will receive greater attention, as these groups are more vulnerable to injury.

Roadblocks to implementation

Common roadblocks that can derail your new health and safety initiatives include:

• Poor management commitment. Limited resources and unrealistic deadlines are frequent issues. “Setting intent is easy but following through with adequate support to problem solve along the way is more challenging.”
• Lack of worker engagement. “If workers feel the new program is too complicated, time-consuming, or unrelated to their job, it becomes much harder to gain their support and change behaviour.”
• Limited supervisor oversight. Supervisors are key to implementing new safety programs. “Management must help supervisors prioritize this work alongside other responsibilities – finding time for observation coaching and holding workers accountable.”

How to keep the momentum going 

Don’t give up if a program or initiative doesn’t stick, says Ayden. Try again, using these six tips:

1. Establish clear leadership commitment and support. It’s important to recognize that meaningful changes in how people work take time and effort to implement effectively.
2. Make it a priority. Include health and safety responsibilities in the performance goals of managers and supervisors to help ensure they take ownership. 
3. Engage workers. Involve workers as “safety champions” to help drive and sustain new health and safety programs. 
4. Provide feedback and support. Don’t expect a seamless transition. Consider telling workers to call when they are filling out the new form, and you will do it with them.
5. Keep it simple. Don’t overcomplicate things. Make it clear who needs to do what, why, when, where, and how to do it safely. 
6. Integrate into daily work. Don’t frame new health and safety requirements as ‘extra’ tasks—it reduces adoption. Instead, embed them into daily work so they fit naturally into existing routines.