Creating a Safer Business
Posted on January 9, 2010
The Importance of a Successful Safety Program in Your Workplace
By: Scott H. Lawson M.S., President and Certified Industrial Hygienist
In a struggling economy, businesses are always on the lookout for money saving strategies. While many companies shy away from investing in new safety programs because of the current economic environment, the reality is that an unsafe workplace can be extremely costly (and potentially devastating) to a company. Nonetheless, the help of a safety expert along with the implementation of a smart, efficient workplace safety program is inexpensive and can have significance benefits to a company’s bottom line.
Research has shown that companies lose a daunting 128 billion dollars every year to workplace injury. Robert F. Tilley, Jr. of SafeTek U.S.A. writes in a recent article, “OSHA violations can range anywhere from just a warning, to $70,000 per incident.” He also observes that in the United States, there are over 6,000 workplace fatalities, with another 50,000 fatalities coming from workplace related illnesses.
Companies of all kinds can lose a great deal to workplace injury. Tilley notes that lost time, sick pay, damage or loss of product and materials, lost time and failure to keep schedule, extra wages for overtime and temporary labor, investigation time and expenses, OSHA fines, loss of contracts, legal costs, and loss of company reputation are all injury related expenses not covered by insurance. For every one dollar a company pays in insurance premiums, they will pay another nine to forty-one dollars themselves for losses that stem from an injury incident. All of these numbers create serious damage to a company’s bottom line.
Fortunately, health and safety programs can be implemented for a fraction of the cost of injuries. Choosing not to invest in safety is gambling with the lives of employees and the success of your company, making a workplace safety program a cost effective and necessary part of business. The American Society of Safety Engineers found in a recent study that for every one dollar spent on a quality safety and health program, businesses saved eight dollars. Even in these difficult times, safety is both responsible and profitable.
It is important to remember that any safety program requires the support and commitment of management. Although CEO’s and top management play an important role in promoting and actively participating in successful safety programs, there are also many benefits to hiring an outside safety expert. A safety expert can review the company’s current safety policies and identify necessary improvements that CEO’s and managers often overlook. An experienced consultant can recognize which aspects of the company are causing the most safety issues and propose solutions to resolve those issues inexpensively and effectively. Hiring a safety expert demonstrates clients your company’s commitment to safety, and ensures that there is always an eye focused on the success of any implemented safety program.
The greatest challenge to the success of a safety program is not its creation, but its long term maintenance. A professional safety expert can help engage and motivate employees and managers to promote the maintenance of safety programs. Safety efforts cannot succeed without the continued enthusiasm and support of management and a safety expert, working as partners in achieving this success.
Some ways a safety expert may promote participation in a safety program include establishing a correlating incentive system to get and keep employees involved and motivated. Incentives may include a system of earning points exchangeable for gifts, redeemable “safety cards” signed by management for safety compliance, safety games and promotions, tracking the use of proper safety precautions by department, and providing company-wide incentives for days without safety violations. These methods and others may be used by a safety expert to keep safety in the forefront of the minds of employees. The cost of such incentives is insignificant compared to the potentially crippling costs of an unsafe workplace.
The creation and continued support of an efficient and motivating safety program is a vital component in achieving a happy, productive, and safe workplace. Safety is a small investment that can amount to huge returns by preventing costs associated with unsafe work environments. The assistance of a safety expert in implementing safety programs will ensure a company’s employees and bottom line stay healthy and safe.
Scott H. Lawson M.S., author of “Creating a Safer Business: How to create a successful safety program in your workplace,” is the President of The Scott Lawson Companies (www.slgl.com) located in Concord, NH. He can be reached at (603) 228-3610 or at scott@slgl.com.
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