Author name: Rebekah Stephens - Health & Safety Advisor, EMA

There’s a familiar scene in many workplaces: the immaculate safety folder, the recent audit pass, the laminated poster. Then something goes wrong.

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.