Repeat communications for clarity's sake, if necessary. Ensure anonymity of participants and that there are no adverse actions as a result of non-participation. Solicit feedback along the way in the form of group meetings and surveys completed anonymously by affected employees and their supervisors. Intervene when unsafe behavior is identified. Continue the observations and feedback for at least 3-6 months and for intervals thereafter, as resources allow.
Research shows that the more frequent the feedback, the faster the behavior changes.
Before you consider whether this technique will work at your institution, it is important to identify resources that may be at your disposal. There is no question about it, it does take time and resources to achieve success with this method. At Florida State University we have begun the program slowly with help from the academic departments. Our pilot project focused on two groups of maintenance workers. We first obtained full cooperation from managers and first-line supervisors, as well as our Facilities Operations and Maintenance Safety Committee.