We all know that crafting a safety report is never going to get you shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize, but practitioners should not underestimate the value of good writing skills in contributing to a safer and healthier workplace, argues Rob Ashton.

When you’re lost in a foreign country, or an unfamiliar city, there’s a good chance that someone will give you incomplete directions. They’ll unwittingly miss out the part about turning right at the church, or forget that the left turn comes before the roundabout.

And even if they do give you full instructions, there’s no guarantee that you’ll follow them to the letter. You might misinterpret the traffic lights for the intersection, for instance. Or you might deliberately veer off the suggested route for a more scenic version – not realising that you’re venturing into an area where even the locals don’t care to go.

Why are writing skills important?

But in terms of workplace welfare, giving incorrect directions can be far more costly than a few minutes of discomfort. For example, an employee could launch legal action if a safe work guideline contains a minor error that leads them to suffer an injury.

Depending on the industry, your company’s employees may be called on to operate complex machinery, drive heavy vehicles, or manage toxic substances. The financial and legal consequences of any accidents can be substantial, so creating clear, accurate written work when communicating health and safety information is essential.

Hefty fines and compensation payouts to injured employees won’t just hit your company’s bottom line; they can also cause a huge loss of reputation and morale. In contrast, companies with low accident records are likely to attract the best staff and have greater employee engagement. This means that money can be spent on training existing staff rather than employing new ones.

The three scenarios described at the outset should all be considered when preparing to write a health and safety document. If you’re writing standard operating procedures or compliance documents, for instance, you should spell out all the directions in the exact order. Every instruction should be crystal clear so that it can be accurately followed. Finally, you should present a compelling case to any ‘thrill-seekers’, or those prone to divert from normal practice, that curiosity could not only kill them but endanger their colleagues.

Creating a safe working environment is not an easy task, but learning and applying a series of writing tools and techniques can help you effectively communicate health and safety messages. The techniques outlined below will help you write high-impact reports, procedures, and instruction documents, but they can be applied to all your written work. The key thing to remember is that your writing needs to be clear and reader-centred. By understanding the potential pitfalls for your reader, you can help keep them on the right road.

Writing instructions
Bullet points

The secret to writing good instructions or procedures is to do lots of ground work. The end result may be a simple point-by-point document, but the real work is done by careful planning. Brainstorm your ideas and clarify your thoughts by using the headings: Who? What? Where? When? and Why? You can also carry out this exercise with a colleague to ensure you consider all possibilities.

Once you’ve got it all down on paper, focus on whom you’re writing for and decide what information must be included, and in what order. Then lay out the instructions in numbered steps, using bullet lists where necessary.

Remember that bullet lists always need an introduction (like this one). They help:

• convey key information;
• break down complex lists; and
• summarise main points.
  

• What is the report about?
• Who will read it?  
• How much do they already know about the subject?
• What do they need to know? 
• How important is the subject to them?
• How interested are they in the subject (which is not necessarily the same as the above question)?
  

	PRINT  < BACK | TOP ^

Comment on this Story
To comment on this story, please enter your name and email address, and start typing. All comments require approval from the editorial team before going live, so please be patient. We will try and get all comments approved or rejected within 24 working hours of you posting. More details about the code of conduct for our comments function can be found here.
Name: (required)	Email: (will not be shown)
Comment:
Characters left : 500
Please enter the coded above to help us avoid spam
*I have read, understood and consent to your Privacy Policy