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Social media

Last updated August 2024

This chapter explains how social media can help improve work health and safety, and the risks you need to manage.

Using social media to improve workplace health and safety

Social media can be an effective tool to improve an organisation’s safety culture.

Definition: Social Media

Social media is online media used for social interaction. It includes popular sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as blogs and forums.
Definition: Safety Culture

Safety culture is a workplace’s collective attitude and approach to health and safety. The patterns of behaviour that are promoted through safety culture determine the level of proficiency and commitment to a business’ health and safety program.

If used effectively, social media can improve your safety culture by providing a platform to:

  • distribute health and safety policies and procedures;
  • alert workers to any changes to a workplace or task that may affect their health and safety;
  • encourage workers to report unsafe work practices and incidents, including near misses;
  • undertake online training and inductions;
  • encourage workers to make suggestions for improving workplace health and safety;
  • effectively involve remote or isolated workers in the business’ day-to-day activities – this can lead to improved staff morale, which may have a positive psychological effect;
  • discuss safety concerns, safe work procedures, and health and wellbeing initiatives; and
  • seek potential employees (e.g. on LinkedIn), and assess their cultural fit and aptitude, e.g. have they posted images showing dangerous behaviour or messages that are discriminatory?.
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