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Five Indicators of Safety Excellence in the Workplace
In today's fast-paced and often unpredictable work environments, workplace safety is more than just a regulatory requirement—it's a culture, a mindset, and a commitment. While compliance with OSHA and other regulatory bodies is essential, organizations that truly excel in health and safety go beyond checklists. They build robust systems, promote awareness, and foster employee engagement across all levels.
During Mighty Line Minute’s recent S2 35 podcast with safety pro Dave Tabar, we had the pleasure of sitting down with him. Dave is a seasoned expert with decades of experience in occupational safety, chemical process safety, fire protection, property loss control, and more. From his extensive background across industrial and operational safety, Dave distilled his experience into five practical and vital indicators that mark an organization’s journey toward safety excellence.
Training, Audit Management, Physical Environment, Accountability Culture, and Systems Management.
1. Training: Building the Foundation for Safe Work
Safety begins with knowledge—and that knowledge is only as good as the training that delivers it. According to Dave, robust safety training is the bedrock of a successful safety and health program. It’s not enough to provide a one-time safety orientation. All employees, especially those who operate machinery or work in high-risk environments, need job-specific training that includes:
It’s critical that training is both comprehensive and engaging. Employees must understand not only what to do, but why it matters. Post-training reinforcement, such as peer reviews or supervisor check-ins, ensures that lessons stick and are applied consistently.
“If proper training isn’t in place,” Dave warned, “you need to rethink your approach.”
2. Audit Management: Continuous Safety Through Evaluation
The second indicator of safety excellence is regular safety audits and inspections. These aren't simply about checking boxes but are vital tools for identifying both potential hazards and improvement opportunities.
Organizations should take a team-based approach to inspections. Involving both management and frontline employees creates buy-in and encourages a proactive safety culture. For complex systems—such as chemical processes, complex systems or heavy industrial equipment—Dave recommends involving specialized experts who can provide deeper analysis beyond basic visual inspections.
Audit frequency and scope matter. A strong program includes:
Regular auditing leads to informed decision-making and shows a genuine commitment to continual improvement.
3. Physical Environment: Designing for Safety
A truly safe workplace begins with thoughtful design. From facility layout to signage, the physical environment must support both efficiency and safety.
Dave emphasized the importance of plant and warehouse organization (e.g. 5S techniques): “A place for everything and everything in its place.” That includes safe facility and equipment design, selection, and placement, visible floor markings using durable aisleway and storage delineation tape, and visual cues (such as with ISO safety symbols) for employees.
Companies like Mighty Line specialize in a range of 5S workplace solutions, including floor safety signs and symbols that align with OSHA, ANSI, and ISO safety standards. They also offer bar and scan code protectors. These elements help reduce operator error and collisions, enhance workflow, and keep employees aware of potential hazards.
But it goes beyond markings. Organizations must also comply with essential fire and life safety codes. While many assume OSHA regulations are the gold standard, Dave pointed out that additional layers exist, including:
Unlike OSHA, which can lag in updates, NFPA codes are updated regularly, reflecting the latest science and technology. Ignoring these codes can put lives and organizations at risk.
A safe physical environment is one where:
4. Accountability Culture: Empowering Employees at Every Level
One of the most powerful indicators of safety excellence is an organization’s safety accountability culture. This culture must be grounded in trust, empowerment, and collective responsibility.
“Employees must feel empowered to speak up,” Dave noted. And equally important—they must know that when they do report hazards, action will follow.
Establishing a strong safety culture includes:
Leadership plays a critical role here. When leaders model safe behavior and act decisively on safety concerns, employees are more likely to follow suit. This creates a positive feedback loop where safety becomes embedded in everyday decision-making.
5. Systems Management: Preventive Maintenance and Change Control
Last but certainly not least is systems and equipment management. As Dave shared during the podcast, a preventable construction fatality once occurred simply because a piece of machinery’s brakes were not regularly tested and inspected. It was a stark reminder that preventive maintenance is not optional—it’s essential.
Safety excellence requires a structured, proactive approach to maintaining systems and equipment. This includes:
Without a reliable MOC process, even small changes—like replacing a part, altering a workflow, or installing new employees—can lead to unintended consequences. These systems must be documented, monitored, and refined as technology, people and processes evolve.
Safety Excellence is a Journey—Not a Destination
At the end of our conversation, Dave reminded us that these five indicators aren’t silver bullets. Safety is tough work. But TAPAS—Training, Audit Management, Physical Environment, Accountability Culture, and Systems Management—offers a reliable quick-check for organizations that truly want to protect their people and foster a culture of care.
In Dave’s words, “If these five elements aren’t in place, you need to rethink your approach.”
Workplace safety isn’t just about avoiding incidents—it’s about creating an environment where employees feel valued, secure, and empowered. That’s also the foundation for organizational success.
Take the Next Step
At Mighty Line Floor Tape and Floor Signs, we’re proud to support organizations on their path to safety and health excellence with high-visibility floor markings, floor safety signs and symbols, and facility marking solutions that are built-to-last.
Explore our full range of safety products at MightyLineTape.com, and stay tuned for more insightful conversations on future editions of Mighty Line Minute.
Stay safe—and remember the TAPAS approach.
