But how do you convey that to the decision-makers within your organisation, to allow you to invest in resources to measure your safety culture, and improve it?

Building a workplace culture takes time, and changing it can take even longer. But when it comes to safety, the importance of investing time, resources and energy can’t be overstated.

A workplace culture is built around the behaviours and attitudes of staff at all levels, usually over a long time. If you need to shake-up the safety culture of your workplace, it’s worth realising that drastic change won’t happen overnight. It will take small adjustments motivated by a clear vision and purpose.

Why is benchmarking so important?

Sadly, as at 10 September, 111 Australian workers have been killed at work this year. In 2014, 188 workers were killed in Australian workplaces.

Meanwhile, in 2012-13 there were approximately 118,000 serious Workers’ Compensation Claims in Australia. It’s a sign that despite our progress, more can be done to keep employees safe while at work.

Understanding the attitudes of your employees is the first step towards knowing how to create positive change and introduce programs to improve safety.

Despite the prohibition imposed by employers, workers continue to wear safety stickers on their work day in their aim to further encourage and promote safety in the workplace. The current safety promotion campaign is the result of the tragic death of three miners in Queensland within the year and after standards for safety across the industry has once again dwindled.

Creating an appetite for safety change within an organisation is like guerrilla warfare - long, arduous, drawn out, in hostile conditions, with no decisive victory!