Doing the Safety W.A.L.K.

Here’s a mnemonic guideline for the old Walk and Talk.

W.A.L.K.:

Watch.

Watch what the staff members are doing:

• are they wearing the correct PPE?
• are they following procedure?
• are their actions hazardous to themselves or others?
• do they look comfortable?
• do they appear stressed?

Look at the environment

• is the area clean?
• is the area free from hazards?
• are the safety signs adequate?

Ask.

Ask questions about:

• what the staff are doing
• why they are doing it
• how they feel about what they are doing
• what they think will improve performance and safety

Listen.

Listen to the staff’s answers. Too often people ask questions, but only hear what they want to hear! That’s called ‘hearing’ – not listening! Be open to what staff say. This part of the walk and talk equation is why so many irresponsible business owners, supervisors and managers avoid the walk and talk – they simply don’t want to hear their staff’s concerns because they fear it’s going to cost money or increase the admin’s work load.

Keep improving.

Air the concerns of staff (unless they are private) and ask for solutions from all staff. Open the avenues of communication. Walk and Talk implies that the staff will communicate right there and then, this is not necessarily so. A staff member may feel more comfortable sending you an email or filling in a form, or chatting with someone else first before they speak with you. Make these mediums available to everyone.

Whatever you want to call it: Walk and Talk, Saunter and Converse, Swagger and Chat – apply the W.A.L.K. principles and help to eliminate hazards, communicate with staff, and create a safer work environment now and for the future.