Page 49 - IGC BOOK

indicate conditions which give rise to high levels of stress or a lack of appreciation and skills in
respect of safety procedures.

Influence of Peers on Health and Safety Culture

The term ‘peer’ refers to the people who work with an
individual in the workplace, usually designates with the
equal level of that individual, they may be a member of the
same group, for example, members of a management team,
or accident investigation team.

Peer pressure will often promote good health and safety
within a work team. If the team members believe that
working safely is the only way to do the job, each
member of the team will watch over the activities of the
other and the group will ensure any new member follows their example to ensure a safe
output. However, peer pressure may have a negative influence in that managers and
workers may receive direct or indirect pressure not to put effort into establishing or working
to good health and safety standards. This may be particularly the case where they have
motives that they feel would be restricted by taking a positive approach, for example,
resource may be drawn away from areas that the manager wishes to develop in favour of
health and safety or the worker may feel that it will limit their ability to achieve productivity
rewards.

ENSIGN| Unit IG1 – Element 3 – Managing Risks – Understanding People and Processes 4