Safety First
Perhaps one of the most important issues in any workplace is that of employee safety. No matter where you work, you want to feel safe and feel as though everyone is doing their part to keep the system working like a well-oiled machine.
Implementing sensible rules and a strong incentives program are good ways to keep the machine working – without any breakdowns. It’s also important to stress safety training and come up with easy ways for employees to remember what they have learned.
Workplace accidents have two main consequences: employee health and financial costs. Employees need to be safe, feel safe and work safe to avoid injury. Without healthy employees, we cannot meet our customers’ needs. In regards to cost, there may be a direct financial impact with your workman’s compensation and casualty insurance costs. The safer you are, the lower your insurance premiums.
Safety Incentives
Safety incentives offer employees and/or their departments motivation for staying accident-free for a certain amount of time. Consider dividing the program by “employees” and “departments” and rewarding employees individually over various increments of time. Rewarding employees separately allows particularly careful workers to earn accolades, even if there is an accident in their department. Consider rewarding multiple departments at various increments (3 months, 6 months, 1 year) for first, second and third place. Rewarding whole departments encourages cooperation and a desire for each individual to work for the benefit of all – and the safety of all.
Be sure to post rules and logistics where all employees can see and understand the way the incentive program works.
Safety F.I.R.S.T
In an effort to make safety procedures easier to memorize and follow, Westfield Steel created a slogan for the campaign: Safety F.I.R.S.T. The acronym serves as a way for employees to remember corporate beliefs and acts as a reminder that everyone needs to look out for one another.
F – Focus – Be aware of how safely you work at all times
I – Initiative – You should take the first steps to improve safety. Supervisors are not the only ones who can spot unsafe work practices or issues.
R – Responsibility – Be accountable for your work practices at all times.
S – Spread the word – Communicate safety concerns or new ideas with fellow employees and supervisors.
T – Training – Everyone will learn the proper safety procedures for an overall safe work environment.
The keys to any effective safety program are to stay consistent with the program, involve all employees in the responsibility and benefits, and to communicate often. There are no shortcuts to a safe and efficient industrial workplace.
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