Safety is critical at every workplace and safety quotes can serve as innocuous reminders or even as mantras for employees to make sure that they remain focused on workplace safety. We share 20 workplace safety quotes you can share today.

Table of contents
  1. 30 Workplace Safety Quotes You Should Use
  2. Share Workplace Safety Tips In Real-Time
  3. The Last Word On Workplace Safety Tips 

When it comes to workplace safety, anything that has a chance of working is worth a shot – even something as simple as safety quotes. 

On the surface, safety quotes for work might sound a little corny, but they can be surprisingly effective.

Safety quotes can serve as innocuous reminders or even as mantras for employees to make sure that they remain focused on workplace safety.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of safety quotes for work in the world. That doesn’t mean that HR managers and safety officers need to share every possible safety quote with employees, and all at once. 

But it doesn’t hurt to share one safety quote with employees every day or even every week. If one ends up resonating with workers, it can become a regular mantra at the workplace. 

With that in mind, we’d like to share 30 safety quotes for work that you might find useful in your quest to create a safer workplace.

A graphic showing a fire safety quiz being taken in the Connecteam employe onboarding app

30 Workplace Safety Quotes You Should Use

“Safety brings first aid to the uninjured.”

F.S. Hughes gets credit for this quote, which is a great reminder that safety is always the first line of defense. In a way, it’s always best to treat people before they get hurt, which is exactly what companies gain from emphasizing safety.

“You don’t need to know the whole alphabet of Safety. The A, B, C of it will save you if you follow it: Always Be Careful.”

This is one of the newest safety quotes that comes from Colorado School of Mines Magazine. It’s a good reminder that safety is fundamental to any activity, including the workplace. You also don’t need to overcomplicate things, but by covering the basics, you can create a safe environment.

“Carefulness costs you nothing. Carelessness may cost you your life.”

This is one of the safety quotes for work that became popular in the early 1900s before workplace safety was taken too seriously. It serves as a good reminder of the consequences of poor safety awareness and how simple it is to pay attention to safety.

“If you don’t think it is safe, it probably isn’t.”

If your workplace wants to preach common sense, this is one of the best safety quotes to share. This line is as self-explanatory as it gets. If there is any doubt about something being safe, just assume that it isn’t.

“Work injuries and illnesses can affect every aspect of life for workers and their families.”

This line from the Maine Department of Labor isn’t the most eloquent quote about safety, although it does a good job of driving the point home. It never hurts to remind employees that what they do at work matters and can have an impact on their life at the end of the day.

The last thing you want is employees taking that stress home with them. 

“It takes leadership to improve safety.”

Jackie Stewart provides this safety quote about the importance of leadership in safety. The leaders at any company should never forget that workplace safety starts with them.

“Work safely today. Remember, somebody expects you home tonight.”

This is another good quote that drives home the point that there is a world outside of the workplace. The goal should always be to stay safe so that you can be healthy when you go home at night.

“Safety is No Accident”

This quote is short and sweet and would be the perfect mantra for any company. It’s a good reminder to everyone that you have to work hard to maintain a safe workplace. After all, the companies that have good safety don’t get that way by accident.

Never Give Safety a Day Off

If you’re looking for safety quotes that can turn into a daily mantra for your employees, this one might be it. No company, no leader, and no employee can afford to take a day off from worrying about safety. One little mistake can have serious consequences, which is why safety needs to be a focal point on a daily basis.

Weaving in a safety mentality is a great way to build up your company culture

Promote safety in the workplace with more than just inspirational quotes!

Learn more about how Connecteam can help you do that.

“Stop! Think! Then Act!”

This could be another mantra to remind your employees about on a daily basis. Workplace safety is all about due diligence, which is why employees would be encouraged to think and double-check before doing anything.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Statesman Benjamin Franklin gives us this eloquent quote. Obviously, he never could have envisioned the modern workplace and the role safety would play in it. But Franklin certainly nails the fact that preventing mistakes and accidents can be far better than trying to fix something afterward.

“Check yourself before you wreck yourself.”

We’ve ALL heard this one! Who knew it was a common safety quote? 

Author Meg Cabot gets credit for this wonderful quote that doesn’t necessarily apply exclusively to workplace safety but does make sense in that context. 

If nothing else, most employees will enjoy turning this quote into a daily safety mantra. After all, the message is clear that you should always be careful before you make a mistake that threatens somebody’s safety.

“An incident is just the tip of the iceberg, a sign of a much larger problem below the surface.”

This is one of those safety quotes for work that’s good to remember in the aftermath of an accident or a close call. Of course, you never want there to be an accident at work, but if something happens, it can be looked at as a learning experience because an accident will point to a problem that needs to be addressed.

You need workplace training to get to the core of problems so they don’t become worse down the road.

Safety work is today recognized as an economic necessity. It is the study of the right way to do things. 

Granted, this quote from Robert W. Campbell seems a little boring on the surface. But he couldn’t be more right about workplace safety being a necessity in today’s world.

“Your employees learn by example. If they don’t see you practicing good safety habits, they won’t think safety is important.”

This is another great safety quote that points to the importance of leadership in safety. It’s all about leading by example as a way to demonstrate how important safety is to the workplace.

“The safety of the people shall be the highest law.”

Marcus Tullius Cicero said this, although he probably wasn’t talking about the modern workplace. However, it does convey the message that employers should make workplace safety the most important priority.

Be sure to communicate frequently with your employees are workplace safety! 

“Prepare and prevent, don’t repair and repent.”

It’s unclear who the first person was to say this, but the message is on point. The purpose of safety is to be prepared so that nothing has to be repaired.

“Safety is 30% Common Sense, 80% Compliance, and the rest is good luck.”

If you didn’t notice, the math doesn’t quite add up in this quote. Of course, that’s on purpose because you don’t want luck to play a role in workplace safety. You need to go above and beyond in other areas to make sure everyone stays safe.

“A Spill, A Slip, A Hospital Trip.”

Obviously, this is one of the funnier safety quotes. However, we know that there’s nothing funny about a trip to the hospital, which is why it’s important to remind employees to be careful of spills and slips, which are two of the most common causes of injuries in the workplace.

“Tomorrow: your reward for working safely today.”

Last but not least, this quote reminds us all that a healthy tomorrow isn’t a guarantee for anyone. It only comes when you make safety a priority.

A graphic showing examples of Connecteam's Training & Onboarding feature with a PPE course and a Fire Safety Quiz.

“Paper doesn’t save people, people save people.”

It’s difficult to make an impact on an employee with a poster listing safety guidelines or even a book about it. It’s easy to forget how much of a reality workplace dangers are when safety precautions, tips, and rules are just written out. With an expert or some sort of live training session, employees can gain firsthand knowledge that will actually stick.  

Accidents hurt, safety doesn’t.

“Better safe than sorry” is another way of putting this quote. Safety training and safety precautions will take time and energy to figure out and put in place. However, that effort is  worthwhile when you know you’re keeping your employees as safe as possible. 

“Shortcuts cut life short.”

Taking the easy way out may just bite you in the bum. When it comes to safety, there is no room for shortcuts; every step that is put in place has a purpose. This will remind employees that it is unacceptable to get lazy with safety and that skipping even one step can be fatal. 

The shrewd one sees the danger and conceals himself, but the inexperienced keep right on going and suffer the consequences.

This proverb is straight out of the bible, so who couldn’t take that seriously?! Employees need to be reminded that no one is above defeating danger. Everyone is at risk, especially when employees ignore the consequences. No matter how experienced or inexperienced an employee is, it never hurts to brush up on safety precautions. 

“A chain is only as long as the weakest link.”

If even one employee disobeys your safety measures, that can put others in harm’s way. It’s important to let employees know that poor judgment affects others. For the benefit of everyone, make sure every last person from your team is up to date on new safety rules.  

Luck runs out but safety is good for life.

Luck comes and goes so you will need to find dependable solutions for safety. Make sure your company is following regular training and procedures. 

“Safety isn’t expensive, it’s priceless.”

When people avoid safety implementations in the workplace because of money, that train of thought can end up costing you more. Putting safety measures is worth all the money in the world because you can’t even put a price on someone’s life.   

“You are your last line of defense in safety. It boils down to you.”

Although you (or any other manager) will be the one to set the tone and expectations for safety, it is up to each individual employee to act on them or not. In this scenario, it would be wise to hire employees who show acknowledgment of the importance of the topic and let go of ones who think it is a joke. Either way, the lesson from this quote is that you can only carry your team so far and you should prepare for that.  

“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

It’s important that safety is at the foundation of every one of your employees. The best way to do so is to set safety standards and rules from the gecko. This quote shows that you will reap the benefits of taking safety seriously if you and other managers make it a priority from the very beginning. It’s never too late to start, but it’s better to start as soon as possible. 

“There is no such thing as an accident, only a failure to recognize the hand of fate.”

Although fate is out of everyone’s hands, there are ways to do your best to avoid the worst. In other words: prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. Employees who do all they can (such as taking courses, listening to experts, and learning new tips) to avoid uncertainties, are more likely to remain safe. 

Share Workplace Safety Tips In Real-Time

We mentioned that it’s important to share workplace safety quotes nearly every day, or at least once a week. But if you’re using traditional communication methods like bulletin boards, emails, or lengthy chat groups then you’re missing the mark. 

Most managers are turning to all-in-one employee apps, like Connecteam, to deliver safety awareness right where their employees are. These days, every employee has a cell phone, so why not use it to the best of your advantage? 

Connecteam's updates

Take a look at some of the most beneficial features and their value when it comes to delivering workplace safety quotes and tips:

  • Updates via the social feed: share company-wide announcements on workplace safety quotes, hazard alerts, new safety protocols, etc. (Access the data to learn who read your update and who didn’t, send automatic notifications to anyone who missed the quote). 
  • On the go reporting: safety reports can be filled out while in the field and are delivered to the relevant officer or supervisor to further evaluate and respond. Plus, employees can add pictures, notes, and more for robust reporting. 
  • A digital suggestion box: open access to the suggestion box so employees can share safety quotes with you whenever inspiration strikes.
  • Live polls or surveys: ask your employees what they think about the safety quotes and safety at work so you know exactly where your company stands.
  • Share and store resources in the knowledge center & library: now employees have direct access, at any time from anywhere, to all safety protocols, procedures, tips, and resources. Plus, anytime you make updates, employees immediately have the updated version at their fingertips. 
  • Training & Quizzes: use quotes to inspire, but use an online training and quiz feature to be proactive about educating employees on important safety tips. You can make these as fun as you’d like and include youtube videos or other resources to support the entire training process.

Connecteam makes it incredibly easy to foster a safety culture in your company and maintain a healthy and safe workplace

Ready to take your workplace safety to the next level? Start your free 14-day trial of Connecteam now.

The Last Word On Workplace Safety Tips 

You already know that workplace safety IS critical to the safety of your employees, your customers, and the longevity of your business. So, don’t act like workplace safety quotes are something to huff at. 

In fact, workplace safety quotes are a fun, easy way – and certainly a fundamental aspect of workplace safety etiquette – to keep everyone alert and engaged. 

Just give it a try! What do you have to lose? Other than your reputation and safety standing…. 

Provide Employees with Reliable Safety Tools:

Connecteam’s all-in-one management system makes it easy to protect employees at the most crucial moments. 

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