How to Build Safety Incentive Programs

Your employees are not only hard workers but safe workers. To show your appreciation, why not introduce a safety incentive program?

What is a Safety Incentive Program?
A safety incentive program is an employee recognition program that has a single focus: safety. These programs help an organization meet various safety goals by recognizing employees for practicing safety at work. A safety incentive program is designed to increase awareness and to make a safety program more effective.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 2.9 million non-fatal work-related injuries and illnesses and about 4,836 fatalities occurred in 2015. The cost of caring for injured workers is high, but an effective safety program can help offset those costs and even prevent injuries!

Start creating a safety program today by following these steps.

Establishing a Safety Incentive Program
Establishing a safety incentive program is just like developing any other recognition program. The first step is to identify the primary outcome for the program. You can start this process by answering the following questions:

• What can the organization do to reduce the number of injuries at work?
• What should employees and managers do to be safer at work?
• What should they know?
• What processes need to be implemented?
• What will the organization change to reach its desired level of safety?

Use the answers to these questions to create trackable metrics. Once you know what metrics to track, you can start to think about the rewards you will use to reinforce your program.

Selecting Incentives for a Safety Incentive Program
Attractive incentives should be used to recognize employees practicing safety at work. While these incentives do not need to be elaborate or expensive, they do need to be meaningful.

Many companies use recognition awards to symbolize big, milestone achievements because they can add a company logo and employee name while highlighting the accomplishment. Take the Peak Goal-Setter, pictured here for example. This award was presented to a truck driver for accident-free miles. Each milestone is represented by a crystal block, and more blocks can be added to the award whenever the driver reaches a new goal.

Elements like a logo shown here, a personalized message, and custom artwork make a reward even more personal to the winner, and it becomes a symbol of success.

Safety program materials, tracking, and rewards must be easily understandable and accessible to the managers and team leads that will be recognizing employees for their positive contributions. Consider setting up a toolkit for these folks that includes all of the materials they will need to recognize their employees on the spot for safe work practices. As time passes, check in and measure the progress of your safety program.

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