Increasing workplace accountability and safety – Where do you start?

Why is accountability so important in relation to workplace safety?

Everyone in a business – from cleaners to CEOs – must do their bit every single day to help protect assets, workers and customers. It is everyone's job to help keep the working environment safe. 

Accountability in the workplace means that staff members take responsibility for their actions and how they perform their duties.

It can be difficult to identify the right culprit when mistakes happen. As much as you don't want to let someone get away with repeating the same mistakes over and over, you also don't want to make false accusations.

That's where asset management systems come in. They allow you to better hold staff responsible for asset loss, errors or security breaches and act as a deterrent. 

They do this by offering detailed logs of employees’ use of an asset, helping you to identify patterns of bad behavior while singling out who had a particular key at a given time, and when they carried out an action.

The role of asset management systems in workplace accountability and safety 

Developing advanced safety protocols

All staff members should uphold a firm’s security culture. 

Being held accountable can stop them from engaging in risky behavior. It can also help a company develop safety protocols: deliberate actions that everyone must take everyday, such as having strong passwords or being aware of the dangers of phishing emails, in order to protect each other and the business.

Boosting compliance

Creating a culture of openness through asset tracking can deter people from acting improperly. Managers can remotely use electronic key cabinets complemented by smart software to easily manage users and items, check the system and asset status, and view transaction histories and reservation requests.

If any keys go missing, you can track their use to the person responsible. Employees are more likely to respect policies and procedures if they know the culprit could easily be found.

Building trust

Asset management systems can help workers better understand what is expected of them and each other. 

They help to clarify what each person is responsible for safeguarding, so that no-one unfairly blames someone else. 

A culture of transparency can help build trust among the workforce. Employees are more likely to keep in line and trust each other if they know they cannot wrongly blame or be blamed by each other.

Increasing efficiency

Asset management can improve efficiency in the workplace by reducing confusion over who is responsible for what, thereby making sure only the right people use an asset, ultimately saving time and speeding processes up. 

Intelligent key cabinets and software, for example, allow employees to transfer use in the field, and quickly update information about an asset.

Increasing quality output

If employees know a detailed log will be kept of their access to an asset, they are more likely to use that item to the best of their ability. This can increase the quality of work they produce.

It also sends a strong message to customers and clients: if employees act responsibly and take pride in their work, they are more likely to go the extra mile for them, too.

Identifying training requirement

Accountability and the ability to track employees’ use of assets can help to identify training and knowledge gaps.

Whether it be a member of staff owning up to a mistake, or you noticing a particular employee failing to get to grips with a certain aspect of the business, it gives you a clearer idea of who needs support and where, allowing you to make suggestions for improvement and introduce further training.

Striving for excellence

Accountability in the workplace can also inspire employees to strive for excellence as they are more likely to own up to, accept and learn from their mistakes. Managers can track and reward those who continually follow the rules, meet expectations and uphold the company's values.

Where to start with asset management systems for your business 

Accountability should be everyone’s priority at work. The whole place could fall apart without it.

When employees continually point the finger at each other, play the blame game and keep repeating the same mistakes, chaos can ensue, and your firm may develop a bad reputation for poor performance, attitude and customer experience. When a workplace is unhappy, the customer is sure to notice, and that can put them off.

Accountability helps to build trust among colleagues, encouraging people to admit to their mistakes and adhere to company rules. It also drives efficiency and excellence in the workplace.

Traka has a range of asset management tools that can help you to achieve just this. 

Our systems, such as our electronic key cabinets and intelligent software, can help encourage all employees to act responsibly, adhere to safety protocols, reflect on areas for self-improvement, and perform to the best of their abilities at all times.