Every business has safety issues. They lurk in all areas of the workplace – office, factory, warehouse, on the road. Workers as diverse as office personnel, machinists, engineers and drivers can be affected by safety issues.
It simply pays to keep employees safe. And not just on the job. Injuries on the commute, lunch break or even at home still have an effect on your business’s productivity.
Implementing a corporate safety program can have a big payoff for your business if it reduces employee down time and lowers your insurance and medical costs. Plus a safe place to work is attractive to employees and a good safety record gives you an edge over the competition.
Done effectively a safety program will result in:
- Improved safety practices and morale
- Reduced accidents and lost time
- Lowered health and insurance costs
- Increased productivity and profits
Three Keys to An Effective Program
Make safety a fun and reward-based opportunity for employees with these three strategies:
- Motivate. Safety programs should be designed to motivate all of your employees to practice safe working procedures every day, at work and at home.
- Create awareness. The best way to instill good safety habits is to remind employees constantly. Include messages in paychecks. Hand out branded items like stress balls, safety tips calendars, notepads, pens, safety glasses, mugs, key tags and a variety of other personal and work-related items that can be used on the job and at home. The key is to make it something employees will use on a daily basis to keep their interest and motivation in the program high.
- Reward along the way. As safety goals are met reward employees with gifts and awards, such as tool kits, apparel, travel and leisure items and electronics. When used, these items serve as a reminder of why the employee was rewarded and reinforce the desired behavior.