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Effective Safety Incentive Programs
Every year, nearly 5 million workers experience an occupational injury or illness on the job, according to the latest information from the Occupational, Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). More than half of these injuries and illnesses are severe enough to cause the worker to spend time away from work. That translates to decreased worker production time and lower corporate revenues.
In June, we discussed how to get your safety program started by defining your goals. In July, we shared tips to keep employees safety-focused, along with some examples of safety programs and slogans. This month, we cover WHO needs to be involved.
A VIEW FROM THE TOP
Always solicit input from top management, supervisors and key hourly employees. Start a safety committee to help you plan your program and decide such matters as: What areas will you focus on? What are your realistic goals? If your firm has a history of starting programs that are never sustained, you might have a hard time gaining employee support for your new safety promotion.
Find out if your supervisors really are committed to safety, and if they practice the same safety they preach. Employees have a sixth sense about this; they'll know. And if supervisors don't really believe in the program, they won't buy into it. For that reason, it's never a good idea to spring the program on employees as being just management's idea. Give everyone involved ownership of it.
"In our company's safety programs, we can't stress enough the importance of strong leadership, training and communication. A good safety program needs to emphasize the clear objectives of the company and focus on obtainable goals. The program should be consistent, and all initiatives should underscore the mission and vision of the company," says Jeffrey Fina, executive vice president of business development and innovation for Long Island City, N.Y.-based Michael C. Fina.
COMMUNICATION IS KEY
When all is said and done, one of the main factors in starting up a safety program is communication. When you are considering the type of employees that might be using a safety program, know that these might be employees who do not typically work in office settings with daily access to computers. Rather, they might spend most of their time in warehouses and might be operating heavy machinery. In these cases, it is important to have front-line managers communicating program goals and objectives effectively.
Given the fact that many safety initiative programs involve employees who are more hands-on and less computer-oriented individuals, safety planners have to clearly communicate all aspects of the program to the workforce.
GET EVERYONE ON BOARD
Motivating executives, managers and supervisors is also important. They should not only administer the program, but be part of it as well. Get these individuals to commit to investing their time and effort to improve their own safety while they encourage workers to do the same.
However it is done, you should always recognize safety accomplishments. That way, individuals become responsible, not only for their own safety, but also for that of everyone in the organization. That way, more people will go home every day without injuries, which is, after all, the main goal.
SOURCE: Premium Incentive Products Magazine, September/October 2010
Give us a call at 708-478-8222 or send us an email to start planning your Safety Program today!
Looking forward to helping you stay safe,
Linda Heyse-Highland
708.478.8222 x225
linda@linjen.com
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