1.Why we are asking you to do this
‘Dear
As part of our ongoing endeavor to create and promote a safe working environment, we would like to get your views and perceptions on how safety is currently treated within the business. I am personally committed to your safety and that of your colleagues and want to find out from you what we need to do better. We want to capture what you feel about safety at work through a survey.
We will be shortly sending out a survey called the ‘Safety Culture Index’. This survey is a series of statements around safety in the workplace as you typically experience it in your daily role. You will be asked to select the level you agree with the statements or disagree with the statements.’
2. Assurance around honesty and anonymity
‘To ensure we get the most from the survey please provide your honest views on safety. It is only from getting a true picture of what everyone is thinking we can then take the appropriate steps to make the business a safer work environment. The survey is anonymous so no one will be able to link your responses to you as an individual. The survey responses will all be aggregated so we can get a snapshot of safety across the … [insert specific business function/location).’
3. How to interpret the Survey Statements [optional]
‘When reading the statements in the survey consider how the statements relate to you on a normal day in the business. For example, statements around ‘management commitment’ to safety should reflect your overall view of management though it is possible you may have different views of different individual managers.’
4. Survey Process – online or paper-based
‘You will be able to complete the survey…’
Include one or more of following options
• online through a generic weblink
• online through a link provided in an email
• by a paper-based survey that will also include instructions on how the completed survey will be collected
You will be given time during your shift to complete the survey. The survey will take around 20 minutes to complete.’
5. Communicating Results
‘The results of the survey will be summarised and shared with you and your colleagues around (specify) weeks after the survey has been closed.’
6. Signed by
‘I encourage you to take the time to complete the survey and to provide your honest responses. I look forward to sharing the survey results with you and what we have learned and what we plan to do differently to make your work environment safer.’
[Consideration should be given as to who the message should come from based on who will have the most impact. Typically, this would be the CEO but not always the case]
