Psychological Safety in the Workplace
By Carl Banks Jr., Contract Senior Specialist Planner, ACRT Pacific
Psychological safety is a work environment where employees feel confident sharing ideas, asking questions, raising concerns, and admitting mistakes without fear of negative consequences. It is a critical factor in creating a positive, productive, and innovative culture.
Why is psychological safety important for teams?
When team members feel safe speaking up, they communicate and call out hazards faster. They use their “Stop Work Authority” when something looks wrong or questionable, and they ask for clarification without the fear of judgement.
In many organizations, employees hesitate to challenge decisions or voice concerns, fearing repercussions. This silence can lead to preventable errors, missed opportunities, and a lack of creativity. Building psychological safety addresses these issues and enables teams to achieve their goals.
Why do people hesitate to speak up about job hazards?
Employees may have fears of being labeled as difficult and could have possible hesitation about their experience thinking, “Maybe I am wrong, others could know more than me.” There could also be hesitations about contradicting somebody with more seniority.
While often misunderstood as general mental health protection, psychological safety is a distinct concept. It focuses on fostering open communication and trust, which are essential for learning and innovation. For example, when an employee raises a difficult question, it should be seen as constructive — not as a personal attack or a threat to reputation.
How does psychological safety lead to fewer incidents?
When employees trust their opinion or their voice is valued, they report hazards sooner and ask for help when they need it. In field operations, this could be the moment an employee questions a tree hazard, raise concern about line voltage, or calls a stop to work when weather conditions change.
They have an open culture of sharing near misses that can help the organization learn. All of this leads to fewer incidents in the workplace. Psychological safety strengthens decision-making, increases situational awareness and improves risk mitigation behaviors across the workplace.
Leaders play a pivotal role in creating this environment. A culture of learning and curiosity does not happen by default; it requires intentional effort. When psychological safety is present, teams become more creative, collaborative, and successful.
How can leaders build psychological safety with their teams?
Leaders can strengthen psychological safety by:
- Encouraging participation in safety meetings and tailboards
- Responding openly to concerns and not just strike them down
- Thanking employees for speaking up
- Sharing the lessons learned transparently
What is ACRT doing to strengthen culture in decentralized teams?
- We utilize safety meetings and tailboards.
- We empower our people to challenge unsafe work practiced and it’s in our “Management Commitment” as one of our core values of “TEAMWORK.”
- It is our highest duty as employees to ensure the health and safety of the public, our coworkers, and our clients.
- We identify the risk and take corrective and preventive measures to eliminate them.
What are some indicators of low vs high psychological safety?
Low psychological safety may look like:
- Silence in meetings
- Lack of reporting hazards near misses
- High turnover
- No open discussions during safety meetings
High psychological safety may look like:
- Lots of open discussions and questions from the team
- Employees stopping work without hesitation
- Healthy debates
- Frequent reporting of hazards and near misses in the workplace
Ultimately, psychological safety allows organizations to tap into the full potential of their talent. It encourages diverse perspectives, drives innovation, and leads to stronger overall performance. Most importantly, it ensures that every employee feels confident speaking up because the willingness to speak up is often what prevents the next incident.
