Spreading Health And Safety Guidelines Among Blue Collar Workers

The Covid outbreak has given rise to many unexpected changes, especially in the workplace. While workers falling into the white-collar sectors are increasingly informed and updated with new safety workplace practices, workers in the blue-collar industry seem to be somewhat overlooked. 

While they may not be considered frontline workers, they are still integral to other industrial operations, including supplying essentials like food, medicines, and equipment. Here are some effective ways through which organizations can spread health and safety guidelines among blue-collar workers. 

Communicate 

Regardless of blue or white-collar communication is key to addressing safety policies. Clearly and concisely communicating to blue-collar workers on the pandemic and why safety is important when performing their jobs in a format and language they understand is an easy way to spread safety guidelines. Organizations can communicate with workers either through face-to-face channels like video conferences, in-house training, or even by distributing infographic materials with representations on safety practices to follow when in office premises. Making use of commonplaces employees use like lunchrooms or lobbies to show safety guidelines can also be helpful. 

Provide Training 

Another great way to teach safety guidelines among blue-collar workers is through proper training. Sometimes the problem is that blue-collar workers may understand what’s been communicated but are not sure how to do it. It’s psychologically proven that people remember 80% of what they see and only 10% and 20% of what they hear and read. So depending on the safety guidelines established, an appropriate training program should be facilitated for employees to ensure they are practised effectively. 

Listen To Workers Seriously

One of the main ways to effectively spread safety guidelines among blue-collar workers is understanding their fears. Sometimes the safety and hygienic issues they face according to their job roles may vary. So before issuing standard guidelines to everyone, manpower supply companies and organizations should listen to their workers. Grouping common concerns according to job roles and then designing safety guidelines accordingly will be much more effective and will also proactively address the safety concerns these workers are likely to face. 

Provide Unbiased Access To Safety Facilities & Benefits 

Whether it’s being able to get PCR tests, vaccines, or providing other forms of assistance like covid healthcare and related sick leaves, all these should be provided to a blue-collar worker in an unbiased manner. Implementing safety guidelines won’t work effectively if employees are not given the right facilities to follow them. Gloves, masks, and hand-washing and sanitizing facilities should all be equally accessible to both white and blue-collar workers alike. 

Incorporate Formal Company Policies 

Whether it’s manpower supply companies or organizations handling blue-collar workers, incorporating formal policies and best practices to address safety is one of the best ways to spread awareness. More than setting forth causal guidelines, formal approaches like implementing company safety policies are more likely to catch the attention and compliance of blue-collar workers. Create a set of best safety practices that suit the workplace and the job roles of the blue-collar employees who work there, review it through an HR professional, and incorporate them within the workplace.