By EMA Health and Safety Advisor Rebekah Stephens

Policies can set expectations, but it’s trust that shapes behaviour. Across industries, the most reliable predictor of early reporting, faster learning and fewer harms isn’t what’s written in the safety manual – it’s the pattern of everyday leadership micro-behaviours that either build or erode trust.

You can see this clearly when comparing two sites with almost identical risks, training and audit results. One reports near misses early and resolves issues quickly; the other stays quiet until problems escalate. The difference isn’t procedure – it’s whether people believe that telling the truth is both valued and safe. In high trust environments, weak signals surface early. In low trust ones, they’re buried until they appear as downtime or harm. 

This matters in a national context where the scale of harm remains sobering. In 2024, 70 workers lost their lives to work related injuries, more than 37,000 injuries resulted in over a week away from work, and an estimated $5.4 billion in economic cost was tied to workplace harm. Sixty percent of workers report work related stress. These figures underline why New Zealand businesses must move beyond compliance alone and focus on the conditions that allow people to speak up early. 

Trust is operational. Leaders who spend time where work happens gain context that dashboards can’t provide – but presence without curiosity becomes theatre. Replacing inspections that hunt for non compliance with conversations that seek understanding is one of the fastest ways to build credibility. Credibility, in turn, shapes the speed and quality of information flow. 

Another powerful signal is consistency. When leaders follow through on small commitments – closing the loop on actions, explaining shifting priorities, publicly owning mistakes – they make it safer for others to speak candidly about what isn’t working. 

As organisations look for practical ways to strengthen these foundations, new initiatives are emerging to support them. One example is the EMA’s Safety Culture Programme, a 12 month, advisor-led initiative delivered in partnership with Safe365 to help members understand, measure and strengthen culture across both leadership and frontline teams. Its focus aligns squarely with what evidence shows matters most: behaviours, engagement and everyday practices that reduce harm before incidents occur. 

Early participants, such as Red Badge Group, report reduced LTIs (lost time injuries), fewer ACC claims and stronger engagement after six months – outcomes that reflect what can happen when trust and behaviour become central to safety improvement.

When trust rises, reporting often rises with it. That spike isn’t a setback – it’s a sign of health. It means reality is surfacing sooner, giving organisations the chance to intervene earlier and prevent more serious harm. If leaders make trust their leading indicator, the improvements in safety, performance and wellbeing will follow.