Wow big audience! "400 plus" Personally, you are initially trying to win hearts and minds and ultimately their trust back. I would start with forums as you have mentioned and studying feedback gained from questionnaires. I am just in a similar process at the moment and have chosen the line "right tools for the job". For operatives I have looked particularly at (comfortable) safety footwear, as we seemed to just issue a generic type which was extremely poor quality (just met required standards). I have also run in house training sessions which were concerntrated on hazard perception at getting them home safely (focusing on them getting back to family in one piece). With management I concentrated on similar training sessions however, I also have made sure that any training they require is fulfilled, rather than just detailed on their development plan and left, this meant a personal touch and finding out what training would make a difference to them managing safely. So much you could do and look at but hope that snippet helps. As I am finding out now, it's a long arduous task but rewarding when you can see the changes slowly take place. Good luck!

I would agree that your biggest challenges will be building trust and winning over the cynics. It would be good if you could identify the most opinionated employees - the unofficial leaders that everyone listens to and work with them to bring others along. They will need to see that you are listening to their ideas and also giving feedback where things can (and more importantly can't ) be done. Most importantly ensure they are part of the solution - helping to resolve issues rather than just generating long wish lists for the managers to address. Good luck and let us know how you get on!