Staying informed is an essential part of developing a strong safety culture.  Effective Safety Conversations is a tool to help provide the skills and tools needed to have effective conversations, to give and receive feedback well (and appropriately), and to develop great communicators.

Feedback from the Safety Culture Survey conducted at the 2022 HSER Forum indicated that more needs to be done to enable people to raise safety concerns in a way that encourages positive change and leaves the individual feeling safe, and more needs to be done to create a high-level safety culture that becomes the norm no matter where you work - that’s where Effective Safety Conversations (ESC) steps in.

We know that there can be barriers to having an effective safety conversation, and ESC training highlights these barriers, and invites everyone to speak up.

ESC training is for workers at all levels of an organisation and is designed to develop the skills and tools to have an effective safety conversation through theory and practical application, and to develop the skills to give and receive feedback well, and to develop great communicators.

There are 3 steps to having effective safety conversations that are addressed in the training package

1. Plan & Prepare:

  • How to make sure that you’re ready to have the safety conversation
  • How to be present, focused, and curious,

2. Observe & Engage:

  • How to keep the safety conversation on track,
  • How to let learning happen through asking and supporting good questions,

3. Action & Review:

  • How to close the conversation and commit to outcomes, and
  • How to reflect on what you could do better.

The course can be conducted in-person or virtually.  It allows those delivering the training to tailor it to their specific needs – facilitators can merge parts of the course with existing programs or deliver it as a complete package. 

And to make it easy for you, Safer Together has developed a training package made up all the materials HSERs need to facilitate the training in your workplace, including face-to-face and online training packages, facilitator guides, a learner workbook and wallet card.

HSERs can access the training materials here:

A Launch Pack is there to support facilitators in delivering the training package, and includes:

  • Implementation Guide
  • Poster
  • Information Video Clip

The training course provides uses a variety of teaching modes – breakout sessions, quizzes, and personal reflections on how to engage with and reinforce learning. 

ESC training delivers the basics of how to give and receive feedback, how to ask questions, and how to adapt one’s body language to the best effect.

We all have a lot to gain in having Effective Safety Conversations.  Follow the link, download the training materials, and get started!  Work with your colleagues to improve safety conversations and outcomes with your team today.

For more information on Effective Safety Conversations, email: [email protected].