--- title: Kevin Burns Blog | safety communications (2) description: safety communications | Tools and strategies to build supervisor leadership, clarify the safety message, and get employee buy-in. (2) --- Kevin Burns Blog | safety communications (2) [![KevBurns Learning: We teach industrial supervisors how to be really great leaders.](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Kev-Burns-Learning-white.png?width=240&height=118&name=Kev-Burns-Learning-white.png "KevBurns Learning: We teach industrial supervisors how to be really great leaders.")](https://www.kevburns.com/) - [About](https://www.kevburns.com/about-kevin-burns) - [Supervisor Training](https://www.kevburns.com/supervisors) - [7 Reasons to Not Work With Us](https://www.kevburns.com/7-reasons-not-to-work-with-us) - [52 Benefits of Safety](https://www.kevburns.com/52-benefits) - [Hope Calculator](https://www.kevburns.com/calculator) - [Issues](https://www.kevburns.com/safety-issues) - [People](https://www.kevburns.com/people-issues) - [Safety](https://www.kevburns.com/safety-issues) - [Escalations](https://www.kevburns.com/escalation-issues) - [Resources](https://www.kevburns.com/books) - [Books](https://www.kevburns.com/books) - [Newsletter](https://www.kevburns.com/newsletter) - [Downloads](https://www.kevburns.com/downloads) - [Case Study NBU](https://www.kevburns.com/nbu-case-study) - [Case Study WCC](https://www.kevburns.com/wcc-case-study-2026) - [ROI Videos](https://www.kevburns.com/videos) - [Speaking](https://www.kevburns.com/speaking) - [Media/Podcast](https://www.kevburns.com/media) - [Blog](https://www.kevburns.com/blog) - [Contact](https://www.kevburns.com/contact-us) - [About](https://www.kevburns.com/about-kevin-burns) - [Supervisor Training](https://www.kevburns.com/supervisors) - [7 Reasons to Not Work With Us](https://www.kevburns.com/7-reasons-not-to-work-with-us) - [52 Benefits of Safety](https://www.kevburns.com/52-benefits) - [Hope Calculator](https://www.kevburns.com/calculator) - [Issues](https://www.kevburns.com/safety-issues) - [People](https://www.kevburns.com/people-issues) - [Safety](https://www.kevburns.com/safety-issues) - [Escalations](https://www.kevburns.com/escalation-issues) - [Resources](https://www.kevburns.com/books) - [Books](https://www.kevburns.com/books) - [Newsletter](https://www.kevburns.com/newsletter) - [Downloads](https://www.kevburns.com/downloads) - [Case Study NBU](https://www.kevburns.com/nbu-case-study) - [Case Study WCC](https://www.kevburns.com/wcc-case-study-2026) - [ROI Videos](https://www.kevburns.com/videos) - [Speaking](https://www.kevburns.com/speaking) - [Media/Podcast](https://www.kevburns.com/media) - [Blog](https://www.kevburns.com/blog) - [Contact](https://www.kevburns.com/contact-us) # Kevin Burns Blog #### Leadership for frontline industrial supervisors. 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[workplace wellness (1)](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/topic/workplace-wellness) - [world-class safety program (1)](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/topic/world-class-safety-program) See all ## [Do This ONE Thing to Build Safety Teamwork](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/do-this-one-thing-to-build-safety-teamwork) Posted by [Kevin Burns](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/author/kevin-burns) on May 16, 2019 [![thumb 12](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/thumb-12.jpg?width=900&name=thumb-12.jpg)](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/do-this-one-thing-to-build-safety-teamwork) To perform at the highest levels of safety starts with a shift in mindset. How well does your crew work as a team? Let’s think about the context of that question in relation to safety. There isn’t a safety person or supervisor that doesn’t believe deep down that their crew could be working a little better as a team in safety. The key here, is in your willingness to do something about it. If you want your crew to be more effective in how they come together and look out for each other, then there is one thing you, as their leader, need to get them to do. [Read More](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/do-this-one-thing-to-build-safety-teamwork) ## [Check-in Safety Beats Check-box Safety](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/check-in-safety-beats-check-box-safety) Posted by [Kevin Burns](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/author/kevin-burns) on April 25, 2019 [![thumb 23](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/thumb-23.png?width=900&name=thumb-23.png)](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/check-in-safety-beats-check-box-safety) You may cover the check-boxes but you need to ensure employees are going to give safety their attention and focus. Is yours a check-box safety culture? Or a check-in safety culture? What’s the difference? A check-box safety culture is just what the name implies. You go through the checklists and check off the items that you have completed. [Read More](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/check-in-safety-beats-check-box-safety) ## [Safety Conversations Beat Statements](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/safety-conversations-beat-statements) Posted by [Kevin Burns](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/author/kevin-burns) on April 3, 2019 [![thumb 22](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/thumb-22.png?width=900&name=thumb-22.png)](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/safety-conversations-beat-statements) Have you fallen into the trap of making statements instead of asking questions? Selling safety to crews can seem overwhelming. Getting your people to see and understand what you see and understand can be frustrating, especially when you don’t achieve the success you think you should have. [Read More](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/safety-conversations-beat-statements) ## [What's Important to Employees in Safety](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/whats-important-to-employees-in-safety) Posted by [Kevin Burns](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/author/kevin-burns) on February 27, 2019 [![thumb 10](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/thumb-10.jpg?width=900&name=thumb-10.jpg)](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/whats-important-to-employees-in-safety) You need to connect with employees in driving the things that are important to them. You feel like you’re saying the right things in safety. Some days your safety performance is great. Other days, you wonder if your team was listening at all. And it frustrates you that just when you seem to be making steps forward, a dumb little incident shows up. This is where you can change it up. You need a safety message that resonates, at the right time, saying the right thing so that every employee is working toward common goals in safety. And the goals are not numbers. Stop pitching numbers to your people. Numbers don’t inspire better performance. [Read More](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/whats-important-to-employees-in-safety) ## [How to Follow-up Your Safety Stand-down](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/how-to-follow-up-your-safety-stand-down) Posted by [Kevin Burns](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/author/kevin-burns) on January 16, 2019 [![thumb 7](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/thumb-7.jpg?width=900&name=thumb-7.jpg)](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/how-to-follow-up-your-safety-stand-down) You need the right message, at the right time, to the right people so that every employee is working toward common goals in safety. You’re planning a safety stand-down, safety event, safety day, whatever you want to call it. I’ll stick with stand-down. So, you’ve set aside your dates, got a budget from your senior managers and you’re busy making plans for what you are going to do for your stand-down. Now, before you plan any further, I want to pass along some advice that will make your stand-down be much more effective. [Read More](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/how-to-follow-up-your-safety-stand-down) ## [The Tools of Safety Leaders](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/the-tools-of-safety-leaders) Posted by [Kevin Burns](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/author/kevin-burns) on January 9, 2019 [![thumb 6](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/thumb-6.jpg?width=900&name=thumb-6.jpg)](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/the-tools-of-safety-leaders) You have got to set aside time each day for your own tools and skills development. Let’s start by saying that I have dedicated plenty of space to identifying the “traits of safety leaders” in past Blog posts. And as important as the traits of safety leaders are, the tools they use to develop those traits is even more important. Good safety leaders are respected. And safety leaders understand the simple premise that “staff don’t work for you, you work for them.” The point of leadership is to help other grow. So when we see inexperienced or even wrong-thinking supervisors flexing their authority muscles at employees, you wonder how long a disliked and disrespected supervisor or safety person is going to last? Employees want to have a reason to respect the supervisor and the safety person. And, even though that supervisor might now have a lot of experience, employees will respect a supervisor who admits that they are working on it. [Read More](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/the-tools-of-safety-leaders) ## [6 Key Parts of Improving Safety Culture](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/6-key-parts-of-improving-safety-culture) Posted by [Kevin Burns](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/author/kevin-burns) on December 12, 2018 [![thumb 5](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/thumb-5.jpg?width=900&name=thumb-5.jpg)](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/6-key-parts-of-improving-safety-culture) What employees want from the job can change your culture. In my last post (When Employees Don't Give You Safety Performance), I presented an overview of what employees want from their supervisors and immediate managers. This time around, we are going to take a look at what employees want from their jobs. Because if they don’t get what they want from their job, why would you expect them to give their best effort, especially in safety? [Read More](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/6-key-parts-of-improving-safety-culture) ## [When Employees Don't Give You Safety Performance](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/when-employees-dont-give-you-safety-performance) Posted by [Kevin Burns](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/author/kevin-burns) on December 5, 2018 [![thumb 4](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/thumb-4.jpg?width=900&name=thumb-4.jpg)](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/when-employees-dont-give-you-safety-performance) If they’re not giving you safety, it’s because you’re not giving them what they want. To paraphrase a quote, the secret to getting what you want is to help enough other people get what they want. Zig Ziglar said that. He wasn’t wrong. Help enough other people get a win for themselves and they are more likely to help you get your win. [Read More](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/when-employees-dont-give-you-safety-performance) ## [3 Strategies to Improve Your Safety Program](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/3-strategies-to-improve-your-safety-program) Posted by [Kevin Burns](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/author/kevin-burns) on November 21, 2018 [![thumb 3](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/thumb-3.jpg?width=900&name=thumb-3.jpg)](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/3-strategies-to-improve-your-safety-program) Effective workplaces are those places where employees feel valued, cared for and protected. Without getting into long descriptions, good workplace safety culture is the result of attitudes and personal and corporate values aligning. If apathy in the workplace exists, little care will be given to safety. When the quality of the work is “good enough,” apathy in safety exists. If employees think it's a lousy place to work, then safety will take a back seat. Poor safety attitudes will impede becoming a top performer. That reflects in both safety and financial performance. A broken safety culture will have an impact on overall corporate performance. [Read More](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/3-strategies-to-improve-your-safety-program) ## [To Shift Safety, Shift Perspective.](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/to-shift-safety-shift-perspective) Posted by [Kevin Burns](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/author/kevin-burns) on November 14, 2018 [![thumb 2](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/thumb-2.jpg?width=900&name=thumb-2.jpg)](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/to-shift-safety-shift-perspective) Your job isn’t to enforce the rules as much as it is to build your team’s performance within the rules. Top down. That’s how your safety program has probably always been handled. Everything rolls down from the front-office to the front-line. [Read More](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/to-shift-safety-shift-perspective) [Previous](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/topic/safety-communications/page/1) [All posts](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/all) [Next](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/topic/safety-communications/page/3) ### Subscribe to Kevin's Blog Get insights and strategies to build the leadership skills employees want their supervisors to have! Subscribe now. --- Kevin Burns' newest book, **The CareFull Supervisor**. This is the book that every frontline supervisor should read.   ![carefull-supervisor-3d-covers-400-1](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/carefull-supervisor-3d-covers-400-1.png?width=253&height=253&name=carefull-supervisor-3d-covers-400-1.png)   **BUY NOW:** [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/CareFull-Supervisor-Tools-Succeed-Employees/dp/1039197256)| [B&N](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-carefull-supervisor-kevin-burns/1144577942) | [Indigo](https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/the-carefull-supervisor-the-tools-to-succeed-and-be-the-supervisor-employees-want-to-have/9781039197268.html)| [FreisenPress](https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000383321344)| [Kobo](https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-carefull-supervisor)| Audible --- ### Recent Posts - About - [Supervisor Training](https://www.kevburns.com/supervisors-old) - [Blog](https://www.kevburns.com/blog) #### © 2026 PeopleWork Align Inc. 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