Awakening the safety culture at DHL Supply Chain

CHALLENGE
When it came to work-related injuries and absences, DHL Supply Chain identified that some of their operations were leading, and others were lagging. Located in 60 countries with diverse languages and cultures, DSC needed a global standardized framework, messaging, and toolkit for communications, to better support their safety-first culture.
 
OBJECTIVES 
• Foster safe behaviours, responsibility, and adherence to best practices across all countries, cultures, and languages.
• Motivate employees to sustain a safety-first culture.
• Refresh messaging to emphasize that safety is a collective responsibility, involving all employees.

STRATEGY 
To elevate DSC's health and safety culture, the communications approach had to be simple, memorable, culturally appropriate, and easily comprehensible. Something Big developed "Our Safety is in Our Hands" to convey that all employees are accountable for their own safety and the safety of their colleagues.

IMPLEMENTATION 
Something Big implemented a two-stage communications strategy. Initially, on World Safety Day, the concept of shared responsibility for safety was introduced. Educational materials such as reference pocket guides, a concise explainer video, warehouse posters, and assets for an internal app were deployed to disseminate the messaging across the workforce.

In the second stage, a 12-month program was implemented to embed the refreshed health and safety culture. Each month focused on different Health, Safety, and Environment topics. The program provided continuous reminders of best practices without overwhelming employees with excessive information. Balancing the need for education, the communication approach maintained a respectful tone and acknowledged employees' existing adherence to HSE practices.
 
RESULTS 
• DSC observed a significant cultural shift, resulting in improved health and safety practices and a reduced work-related injury rate.
• Hands became universally recognized as the symbol of safety within DSC.
• The 200,000 employees across more than 60 countries are now better equipped to take responsibility for their health and safety, support colleagues in following best practices, and return home safely at the end of each day.