Safety Leadership Training

Build better safety leaders

Outcomes of Safety Leadership Training

About the Safety Leadership Training Program

Leaders play a critical role in influencing safety culture and performance.

The Safety Leadership Development program equips leaders with the language, tools and skills to enable them to make conscious choices and build a culture of care, trust, ownership and accountability.

The program educates leaders in understanding human behaviour, why people do what they do, what causes human error and what they can do to influence others to own and consciously choose safety.

We align this program with other Jonah Group offerings, such as Human and Organisational Performance (HOP) Safety Training and Psychosocial Hazard Training, to create a holistic approach to workplace health and safety. To further develop your leadership skills, we also provide Psychological Safety Training for Leaders to ensure leaders are confident and competent to demonstrate expected psychological and safety leadership behaviours.

What's Covered in Our Safety Leadership Training Program

Safety Leadership Training Program Delivery Format

Background

There are many factors that go into building a truly safe workplace, from systems and processes to culture and training. But one trumps all – safety leadership.

Leaders directly influence about 70 per cent of an employee’s behaviour and this can have a significant impact on generating and driving safety culture. Safety leadership is one of the most important – and least understood – influences on workplace safety.

Effective safety leaders not only improve the safety performance of their teams but are also more successful business leaders, enjoy improved morale and build better relationships.

Our Safety Leadership Training Program vs. Behavioural Safety Training

The Jonah Group’s safety leadership training program stands out as a superior alternative to traditional behaviour-based safety training methods. It focuses on creating a culture of genuine care and ownership.Traditional behaviour-based programs focus on observing and correcting workers’ behaviour without fully understanding the underlying motivations, unconscious thinking and decision-making processes that lead to risky behaviour. This approach reinforces a culture of compliance distinct from genuine ownership and care.

The Jonah Group’s Safety Leadership Training Program influences people to own safety because they genuinely ‘want to’ rather than ‘have to’.

The Jonah Group’s safety leadership training for managers and leaders delves deeper into the psychology of behaviour and decision-making, helping leaders comprehend why people engage in unsafe practices and how to influence them to make conscious choices regarding safety. By emphasising safety leadership, the Jonah Group’s program equips leaders with the necessary tools and skills to drive a sustainable culture of care, trust, ownership, and accountability within their teams. As a result, organisations that have experienced the limitations of behavioural safety training models often turn to the Jonah Group for a more comprehensive and effective approach to workplace safety.

By prioritising safety leadership training, the Jonah Group ensures that leaders are well-equipped to create a lasting positive impact on the safety and well-being of their employees, ultimately protecting businesses and saving lives.

Why use Jonah Group For Safety Leadership Training

Jonah Group’s experts know safety. Not just because they have studied it – but because they have lived it.

In 1999, founders Nada and Robert Wentzel were involved in a horrific accident that left them burned and scarred. The accident led to a life-long inquiry to discover why smart people are capable of such mistakes.

Today, they share that knowledge with leaders from the boardroom to the front line, driving real change in people’s attitudes, behaviour and mindset – and ensuring safety and well-being. In a world where more than 2 million die every year from work-related accidents and disease, safety is Jonah Group’s mission.

Whether psychological or physical health and safety, Jonah Group’s experts help people understand the science of decision-making, risk and human error and in doing so, build safety leadership capability to help leaders create sustainable cultures of safety.

Jonah Group. Saving Lives. Protecting business.

Benefits of Safety Leadership Coaching

Safety Leadership Training instils a mindset that prioritises safety across every action, decision, and conversation. It shapes how leaders think, respond, and guide others, creating ripple effects across the entire organisation. Below are the key benefits of investing in a structured safety leadership programme:

Safety Leadership Training to Cultivate a Proactive Safety Mindset:

Strong safety leadership training for managers enables leaders to move from reactive problem-solving to proactive risk prevention. By anticipating hazards, understanding human behaviour, and implementing safeguards early, leaders build a more adaptive and resilient safety culture. This forward-thinking approach helps minimise harm and supports consistent performance across all levels of operation. Whether you're engaging in training safety leadership or tailored safety leadership coaching, the goal is to embed vigilance and accountability in daily practice.

Safety Leadership Coaching to Enhance Communication Skills:

Clear and open communication is the foundation of effective safety leadership. Through safety leadership training for supervisors, managers learn how to foster trust and dialogue within their teams. Leaders are equipped to actively listen, raise concerns without blame, and create space for honest feedback. This supports safer decision-making and improves compliance. Combined with health and safety leadership training, these communication skills reinforce a culture where everyone feels heard and responsible for safety outcomes.

Safety Leadership for Driving Team Engagement and Trust:

Engaging in a well-structured safety leadership course sends a strong message that people come first. When teams see that leadership genuinely values their wellbeing, it drives motivation, morale, and effort. A consistent focus on workplace safety leadership strengthens team cohesion and deepens commitment to shared goals.

Safety Leadership Training to Boost Organisational Reputation:

Organisations recognised for their strong health and safety leadership are more likely to attract high-calibre staff and trustworthy business partners. Investing in leadership in safety training not only reduces operational risks but also builds your reputation as a responsible and values-driven employer.

Safety Leadership Coaching to Foster Team Cohesion:

Safety leadership coaching reinforces the principle that safety is a shared responsibility. When leaders actively promote accountability and inclusion, teams begin to look out for one another and work more closely together. This sense of mutual care and commitment enhances team cohesion, strengthens communication, and encourages collaborative problem-solving. Through supportive workplace safety leadership, organisations create more unified, resilient teams capable of maintaining high safety standards under pressure.

Safety Leadership Training for Reducing Workplace Incidents and Downtime:

An effective safety leadership programme results in fewer safety breaches, fewer injuries, and less unplanned downtime. When leaders embed behaviour safety training and safety values into everyday routines, employees are more likely to follow safe practices and raise concerns early. This preventative approach reduces interruptions, improves efficiency, and protects your workforce and assets while maintaining operational momentum.

Safety Leadership for Supporting Long-Term Improvement:

Safety performance is not a one-time achievement. It requires continual assessment, feedback, and leadership alignment. Safety leadership training for managers builds the internal capacity needed to evaluate systems and guide sustainable improvements. With ongoing health and safety leadership training, leaders are better prepared to respond to change, manage evolving risks, and maintain momentum toward a safer workplace.

Safety Leadership Coaching to Develop Emotional Intelligence:

Exceptional safety leaders do more than enforce policy. They understand people. Through safety leadership coaching, leaders develop emotional intelligence, empathy, and the ability to influence without authority. These qualities are vital for managing mental health concerns, guiding teams under pressure, and creating psychologically safe environments. A strong foundation in health and safety leadership helps leaders navigate complex challenges while supporting the emotional wellbeing of their teams.

Safety Leadership Training to Reduce Liability and Costs:

Organisations that invest in health and safety leadership training experience fewer incidents, which translates to lower insurance costs, fewer legal claims, and stronger regulatory compliance. A strategic safety leadership course not only reduces risk but also contributes to financial stability. It positions safety as a business enabler rather than a compliance burden.

Safety Leadership Coaching for Building Ownership Across All Levels:

A key outcome of effective safety leadership coaching is the normalisation of shared ownership. Leaders learn to model behaviours they expect from others, and in doing so, empower their teams to act with accountability and purpose. Through integrated workplace safety leadership and coaching methods, this culture of ownership takes root, improving consistency, transparency, and engagement across the organisation.

The role of a leader in safety goes far beyond systems and checklists. A thoughtful, well-supported safety leadership programme builds the mindset, tools, and behaviours needed to protect people and elevate performance. It shapes leaders who not only guide but also protect, nurture, and inspire their teams towards a safer, more productive future. Get started with your safety training online today!

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Safety Leadership Training - FAQs

Behavioral safety training focuses on modifying workers’ actions to reduce accidents and incidents, while safety leadership training emphasises equipping managers with the necessary knowledge and tools to foster a culture of care, trust, ownership, and accountability. Safety leadership training addresses the root causes of unsafe practices by understanding the psychology behind decision-making and human behaviour. It influences people to think and do safety because they ‘want to’ distinct from ‘have to’. Behavioural-based safety is a compliance-based process.

 

It usually involves peer-to-peer observation and feedback. This approach can create a psychologically unsafe environment and drive a ‘tick and flick’ compliance culture. In contrast, safety leadership training delves deeper into the underlying motivations and decision-making processes that lead to risky behaviour. It is underpinned by a value of curiosity and learning and recognition that people’s behaviour is influenced by the context, the environment, relationships and broader organisational factors. Interactions focus on understanding the ‘why’ behind the behaviour and learning. The safety leadership training helps leaders influence their teams to make conscious choices regarding safety, ultimately creating a sustainable safety culture within the organisation.

Safety leadership training for managers and leaders is suitable for leaders at all levels, from the boardroom to the front-line supervisors and team leaders. The safety leadership training for supervisors and managers program is designed to equip leaders with the language, tools, and skills necessary to effectively influence their teams and promote a culture of physical and psychological safety.

The Jonah Group’s safety leadership training program is offered through a 20-week blended learning format, combining face-to-face or virtual sessions with coaching and classroom-based learning. A comprehensive 180° Safety Leadership Scorecard® is provided for evaluation and progress tracking before and after the program.

While psychological safety training for leaders and safety leadership training can be used alongside traditional behavioural-based safety training, it offers a more comprehensive and effective approach to workplace safety. By focusing on safety leadership, the program ensures that leaders are well-equipped to create a lasting positive impact on the safety and well-being of their employees.