Do NOT Make This Safety Program Mistake!
written by Rebecca Gomez
Having an effective safety program is crucial for creating a safe work environment and keeping workers’ compensation premiums low. Some employers have used a reward system (reward employees when there are no work-related accidents) as motivation to create a safe work environment. This can be a costly mistake. A reward system actually does the opposite. The reward system discourages employees from reporting injuries, which exposes your organization to liability and increases the cost and chances of repeated injuries.
There are other simpler and better methods to motivate your employees to create a safe work environment. The most effective way is to keep the topic of safety at the front and center and continually discuss safety to instill this culture in your work environment.
Here are some tips you many use to remind your employees to be mindful of safety:
- Monthly or quarterly newsletters: Have each newsletter contain an article on a specific safety or wellness topic, and include a reminder of important company safety policies and emergency contacts.
- Promote Employee’s involvement: It is important to make employees feel comfortable bringing concerns to their managers and it is important for the employees to feel confident that their concern will be addressed and taken seriously. Provide employees with a form on which they can document and report safety concerns.
- Safety trainings: offer monthly trainings discussing safety or wellness. Be creative and get employees engaged. Promote employee involvement by asking various employees to assist in facilitating the trainings. Attendance to safety trainings should be mandatory
These are just a few ways to create a safe work environment without incentivizing employees to hide their injuries. A safer workplace can be established by continually discussing safety at every step, reviewing safety manual, and promote employee involvement.
Baker Romero provides our clients with free safety videos, articles, and brochures tailored to their industry and loss control/claims review.
Let us know if you have any questions regarding risk management or would like us to provide a quote for workers’ compensation. We are here to help.
