in 2019, there were 2.8 million injuries at workplaces in the United States. One of the reasons behind this is that many companies haven’t created a safe workplace.
If you’re a business owner, you may be tempted to view safety as just another irrelevant part of your business operations. This isn’t a good policy because a safety culture will create a secure and conducive working environment. You’ll be able to identify and control any hazards easily.
So, should you invest in the development of a safety policy? Well here are the reasons why you should do it.
Reduce Turnover and Absenteeism
Injuries are one of the reasons why employees won’t come to work. If the employees have severe injuries, they may stop coming to work altogether. This means that your business will have a higher turnover and more cases of absenteeism.
Injuries may even encourage uninjured workers to skip work. They may think that the company is a dangerous place to work.
It’s, therefore, important that the leadership commits itself to safety training. The management must also implement safety measures to assure and protect employees.
Fewer Fatalities and Injuries
Reducing injuries is the primary objective of improving workplace safety. This is a culture that prioritizes employee safety and identifies hazards in the workplace.
Each employee will be taught how to identify safety issues. They’ll also know what role they play in advancing a safe and accountable workplace.
Reduce Your Insurance and Medical Costs
Injuries are a big burden on the company’s insurance premiums. When many workers make compensation claims, the insurance company will start to charge higher premiums. On the other hand, fewer compensation claims can lead to rebates and lower premium payments.
The management may also spend a lot of time on solving compensation claims. This is precious time that they could have used on other company operations.
A safe workplace will gradually reduce the cost of medical bills and time spent in the hospital. The company will be able to reinvest the money on other safety measures such as OSHA training.
Improve Productivity and Boost Morale
Eliminating safety risks is impossible, but you can lower the chances of an accident occurring. Your employees won’t have to worry about being injured or killed at work constantly. They’ll become more confident and will trust their co-workers to do the right thing.
When everybody knows everything on the OSHA required training checklist, there will be fewer injuries. Cases of employees taking off sick days will reduce, and the workflow will go on uninterrupted. The result is a tremendous increase in productivity and employee morale.
Develop a Safety Culture to create a Better Working Environment
The process of boosting business safety takes time and requires extra resources. Every employee needs to understand their responsibilities and duties when it comes to safety. In addition, there should be measures in place to ensure accountability and seriousness.
If you invest in a safety culture, you will create a workplace where everybody feels safe.