EH&S Numbers No Company Can Afford to Ignore

EH&S Numbers No Company Can Afford to Ignore

Employers, don’t forget this EH&S number: 5,479. That’s the average number, we learned recently, of employees who die on the job every single day due to preventable workplace accidents. Yes, over 5 thousand people lose their lives at work on a daily basis—more than 3 times the number of people in the US who die from heart disease at the same rate.

Ready for a couple more shocking figures to remember? 2,000 and $300 million. Those are the numbers, respectively, of daily eye injuries in the workplace and the total cost of those injuries to employers in terms of medical expenses, worker compensation, and lost production time.

I’m not just writing about ocular trauma for the squick factor of it. Rather, it’s because these statistics form the basis of a recent EHS Today article about the costs of turning a blind eye to employee health and safety. Get it—blind eye? Quite a grim pun on the publication’s part, but an effective lens to view the topic through (okay, I’ll stop) nonetheless.

The article goes on to offer 5 practices any company can adopt to keep employees safe and productive at work, and “create a strong safety culture and open communication channels so employees can collaborate when it comes to hazard identification and problem-solving.”

Start from the top

Developing a healthy safety culture requires leadership to champion safety as a key organizational value. The company culture must include leading, working and acting safe. When management leads in safety, the organization will follow.

Distribute safety surveys

When executing on your safety culture, it’s important to first find out what your employees know about your safety guidelines and expectations. Are they familiar with your corporate policies and procedures? Do they even know their own responsibilities when it comes to safety? This survey also serves as a great opportunity to get anonymous feedback on employees’ perceptions about the safety in your workplace.

Conduct pre-shift huddles

This is a time when management can reinforce the safety culture by covering near-injury misses, newly identified hazards and educating staff on how proper processes and equipment handling can protect everyone’s health and safety. The goal of safety huddles is to also provide an open, non-punitive forum for employees to communicate about workplace safety.

One-on-one discussions

Supervisors can build trust and show respect for their workers’ safety by engaging associates in informal safety discussions. Associates who know that their opinions and perspectives are valued will be more likely to participate in informal communication about safety practices. This is also an ideal setting to gain feedback from employees who may not be comfortable bringing up concerns in front of a large group.

Perform ongoing safety training

Providing safety training for employees is essential for creating a culture of workplace safety. A workforce with a strong understanding of safety guidelines and best practices is more likely to recognize potential hazards before they occur. This can lead to fewer injuries and help you avoid costly losses in productivity and employee morale.

Read “Five Safety Tips that Impact Business.”

Looking for ways to develop a safety culture without endangering your earnings? Direct your eyes to our previous employee health and safety recap: “Workplace Safety or Bottom Line? You Don’t Have to Choose.”

Toby Graham

Toby manages the marketing communications team here at Compli. She's on a quest to help people tell clear, fun stories that their audience can relate to. She's a HUGE sugar junkie...and usually starts wandering the halls looking for cookies around 3pm daily.

→ Toby Graham

Related Posts




Phone: 866.356.1735
Support: 877.522.4276
Menu
Customer Login

Send this to friend