Make Safety a Priority: Enhancing Workplace Health and Safety

Why Frontline Worker Safety Is Now a Business-Critical Issue

Protecting and promoting health and safety in the workplace has changed. It is no longer just a regulatory requirement or a box to check on a to-do list; it has become a primary measure of company performance, operational stability, and organisational resilience.

Companies in construction, manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and hospitality now more than ever rely on deskless, or frontline, workers to perform critical operational functions. At the same time, these employees continue to face a disproportionate share of workplace safety and health risks.

The SafetyCulture report “Feedback from the Field” is one of the few recent research publications highlighting the gap between safety systems designed by organisations and the real safety experiences of frontline workers exposed to the highest risks.

This section of the report clearly establishes that frontline worker safety is not only a legal or moral responsibility, but a business imperative.

Who Are Frontline (Deskless) Workers?

Frontline workers are employees who, by the nature of their roles, must be physically present in operational environments rather than office-based settings. These individuals carry out hands-on tasks and are typically exposed to higher levels of workplace risk.

Common frontline roles include:

• Construction operatives and site supervisors
• Manufacturing and production workers
• Healthcare professionals and care staff
• Warehouse, logistics, and transport workers
• Hospitality, facilities, and maintenance teams

These roles involve continuous interaction with:

• Equipment and machinery
• Patients and members of the public
• Chemicals and hazardous substances
• Manual handling activities
• Tight deadlines and productivity pressures

For these reasons, structured and well-organised risk management systems are not optional—they are essential.

What We Know: Safety Problems Are Widespread and Ongoing

SafetyCulture’s research shows that 65% of frontline workers encounter operational or safety issues at least once a month, with many facing such challenges weekly or even daily.

The most commonly reported problems include:

• Poorly maintained or inadequate safety equipment
• Unclear, outdated, or ambiguous work procedures
• Insufficient staffing or supervision
• Unresolved or ignored safety hazards
• Limited access to safety information on-site

Even more concerning is that only 45% of these issues are resolved within an acceptable timeframe. This delay allows risks to persist, increasing the likelihood of incidents, injuries, and near misses.

The Wider Business Impact of Unresolved Safety Challenges

The consequences of ineffective safety management extend well beyond the worksite. Research indicates that 87% of frontline workers believe their organisations are either not operating at full potential or are unsure whether they are.

Business risks associated with poor safety performance include:

• Increased downtime due to accidents
• Higher insurance and compensation costs
• Regulatory investigations and penalties
• Damage to brand reputation
• Lower employee engagement and retention

From a strategic perspective, safety failures result in lost efficiency, lost trust, and lost talent.

Communication Gaps: An Overlooked Safety Hazard

One of the most significant findings from the research is the role of ineffective communication in workplace incidents. Frontline workers often operate in fast-paced environments where timely, clear, and accessible communication is essential.

Common communication challenges include:

• Over-reliance on verbal instructions
• Language barriers within diverse teams
• Limited access to safety updates for deskless workers
• Infrequent or rushed safety briefings

Reality Check: A well-written safety policy has little value if frontline workers cannot easily access or understand it.

Training Gaps and Their Direct Link to Workplace Injuries

Training is one of the strongest predictors of safe behaviour, yet the research exposes alarming gaps in how safety training is delivered and maintained across organisations.

Research findings reveal:

• 30% of frontline workers received meaningful safety training more than a year ago
• 13% report never receiving valuable safety training
• 54% believe workplace injuries could have been prevented with better training and clearer instructions

These findings highlight a dangerous misconception: treating safety training as a one-time event rather than an ongoing process.

Why continuous training matters:

• Work environments constantly change
• New equipment introduces new risks
• Safety knowledge fades without reinforcement
• Regulations and best practices evolve

Organisations that invest in recognised, structured safety qualifications develop competent and confident workers who can identify hazards and respond effectively.

Safety Over Salary: What Workers Truly Value

One of the most compelling insights from the SafetyCulture research challenges traditional workforce assumptions. Despite economic pressures, 70% of frontline workers stated they would prioritise safety over higher pay when considering alternative employment.

This sends a powerful message: workers are not asking for perfection—they are asking for protection.

Barriers to Safer Workplaces: Why Health and Safety Efforts Often Break Down

Despite increased awareness of workplace health and safety, many organisations continue to struggle with persistent safety failures. These failures are rarely caused by a lack of rules or policies, but instead result from systemic issues such as weak leadership, poor communication, insufficient training, and underdeveloped safety culture.

The SafetyCulture “Feedback from the Field” report provides clear evidence that frontline workers are willing to work safely, but organisational structures often prevent them from doing so effectively.

Ineffective Management: The Leadership Gap in Safety Performance

One of the most significant findings of the research is that 42% of frontline workers identify ineffective management as a major obstacle to operational excellence and workplace safety.

Leadership behaviour sets the tone for how safety is prioritised. When safety is treated as a secondary concern—only reviewed after incidents—workers quickly internalise that message.

Common leadership-related safety failures include:

• Delayed response to reported hazards
• Inconsistent enforcement of safety rules
• Limited visibility of managers on the shop floor
• Failure to learn from incidents and near misses
• Productivity targets overriding safe work practices

Over time, these behaviours create a reactive safety environment where action is taken only after injuries occur.

Training Deficiencies: A Major Contributor to Preventable Injuries

Training remains one of the most effective tools for accident prevention, yet it is frequently underutilised. The research highlights serious gaps in both training frequency and quality.

Key training statistics include:

• 31% of frontline workers cite lack of staff training as a major issue
• 30% last received meaningful training more than a year ago
• 13% report never receiving valuable safety training
• 54% believe injuries could have been prevented with better training

These figures confirm a troubling reality: many organisations rely too heavily on induction-only training, assuming competence remains permanent.

Why one-time training is not enough:

• Training must be role-specific and task-focused
• Regular refreshers are essential
• Practical learning is more effective than theory alone
• Training must align with current risks and regulations

Without continuous development, safety knowledge deteriorates and unsafe habits emerge.

Safety Culture: When Compliance Replaces Commitment

Many organisations believe they have a strong safety culture simply because policies exist and audits are completed. However, research shows that 31% of frontline workers feel discouraged from suggesting improvements, indicating weak psychological safety.

Signs of a weak safety culture include:

• Fear of blame or punishment
• Near misses going unreported
• Safety discussions occurring only after incidents
• Employee feedback being ignored
• Rules existing but not consistently followed

In such environments, hazards remain hidden until serious harm occurs.

Characteristics of a strong safety culture include:

• Open and blame-free reporting
• Active worker participation in safety decisions
• Visible leadership accountability
• Continuous learning and improvement
• Ongoing training and competence development

Safety vs Salary: What the Workforce Truly Prioritises

One of the most revealing insights from the SafetyCulture research challenges traditional workforce assumptions. Despite economic pressures, 70% of frontline workers say they would prioritise safety over higher pay if seeking alternative employment.

This finding sends a clear message to employers:

Workers are willing to stay and perform better when they feel protected and valued.

Organisations that fail to prioritise safety risk higher staff turnover, lower engagement, and long-term reputational damage.

Why Do These Barriers Still Exist?

If the risks are known and the solutions are as well, then what causes these ongoing challenges?

Some of the most common reasons include:

• Believing safety is an expense rather than a business asset
• Inadequate safety leadership
• Siloed or outdated training systems
• Resistance to cultural and digital change
• Failure to engage frontline workers in decision-making

Addressing these barriers requires more than policy updates. It demands a shift towards people-centred safety systems.

Helping Frontline Employees: Technology, Training, and Smarter Safety Systems

Workplace health and safety challenges cannot be solved by policies alone. The SafetyCulture “Feedback from the Field” report highlights a critical truth: frontline workers are not the problem they are a vital part of the solution.

By empowering workers, improving access to training, and integrating digital safety systems, organisations can transform safety from a compliance obligation into a competitive advantage.

Why Frontline Workers Hold the Key to Safety Improvement

Research indicates that 55% of frontline employees believe the most valuable safety improvement ideas come from their own teams, compared to only 19% who believe leadership-driven ideas are most effective.

Frontline workers are uniquely positioned to:

• Understand real-world risks on the ground
• Identify gaps in existing safety systems
• Recognise inefficiencies before they result in incidents
• Develop practical solutions for daily operations

However, 31% of workers feel their managers do not support operational improvements representing a missed opportunity to reduce incidents and improve productivity.

Creating a Voice-Enabled Safety Environment

Organisations that empower frontline employees to contribute to safety improvements report:

• Increased safety reporting
• Faster resolution of hazards
• Lower incident rates
• Improved employee retention and satisfaction

The Role of Digital Transformation in Workplace Safety

Mobile-first safety technology is one of the most effective ways to empower deskless workers. SafetyCulture’s digital workplace operations platform demonstrates how technology can close critical safety gaps.

Key features include:

• Digital inspections and audits
• Mobile access to work instructions and manuals
• Integrated training tools
• Asset and equipment management
• AI-assisted template creation
• Text-to-speech functionality for accessibility

Replacing paper-based systems with real-time digital tools improves visibility, consistency, and speed—three essentials of modern safety management.

Building Competence, Not Just Compliance

Training is most effective when it is ongoing, accessible, and relevant. Digital platforms allow workers to access training at the point of need—on-site, during tasks, and in real-world contexts.

Best practices for frontline safety training include:

• Microlearning modules for quick refreshers
• Task-specific risk awareness training
• Visual learning using photos and videos
• Regular competency assessments
• Easy access through mobile devices

Real-World Success Story: Mobile Mini

Mobile Mini, the UK’s leading provider of site accommodation and secure storage solutions, demonstrates the power of digital safety transformation.

The challenge:

• Outdated paper-based safety checks
• Limited hazard visibility
• Slow near-miss reporting
• Inconsistent audit quality

The solution:

• Mobile inspections and audits
• Photo-based hazard reporting
• Real-time incident reporting
• Standardised safety audits

The outcome:

• Higher-quality inspections
• Improved accountability
• Faster corrective actions
• Reduced workplace accidents

Why Prioritising Safety Is a Business Advantage

The SafetyCulture research confirms that safety drives performance. Organisations that prioritise safety benefit from reduced costs, stronger engagement, improved efficiency, and long-term workforce stability.

With 70% of frontline workers prioritising safety over salary, investing in safety builds trust, loyalty, and sustainable success.