The reports are in. Safe workplaces are happier, more productive, and more profitable workplaces. According to OSHA, investments in worker safety could save U.S. businesses billions of dollars every year. While executives and managers are likely to be interested in how worker education can improve their bottom lines, the entire workforce also needs to get educated and empowered in order to help protect themselves, their coworkers, and their company. After all, management can't be everywhere, and it is very likely that the workers will often be the only ones in a position to spot and address safety standard issues.
Consider some of the benefits of educating your workforce about safety standards:
Avoid penalties: According to OSHA, worker training helps employees spot, avoid, and prevent workplace hazards. For some hazardous jobs, employee training is mandatory under federal regulations. Failure to comply with the rules can result in hefty fines that increase with repeated violations.
Lower insurance costs: Companies with safer workplaces can enjoy lower premiums for workers compensation and other types of coverage on their people and their property. Liberty Mutual conducted a study in 2011 that reported the most severe illnesses or injuries generated direct costs for workers compensation of $50 billion in 2009.
Improve employee morale and productivity: OSHA also provides numerous studies that support the notion that a safe workplace is a better workplace. It only stands to reasons that companies with fewer safety incidents also experience less employee downtime and turnover. Certainly, safe workplaces are much more attractive to quality employees, but unsafe workplaces are likely to repel them. Also, safety training classes let employees know that your company is committed to workplace safety.
Protect your brand: For most companies, establishing brand recognition and appeal represents a huge investment for the marketing department. News of avoidable workplace injuries and accidents never does a company's brand name any good. Damage to a company's reputation can end up costing a lot of money in lost sales, and it can be really tough to recover and take years to do it. On the other hand, news that your company promotes an educated and trained workforce can help improve your brand.
Make Worker Safety Education Part of Your Safety Management System
At Ventiv Technology, we offer an entire suite of safety management software and risk management tools. While this software can help manage all aspects of safety in an enterprise, one important feature is the ability to offer classes and track employee progress and completion. Employees can even choose to take training at their convenience and from a variety of different devices.
This makes it more convenient for workers to learn how to identify, avoid, and prevent hazards, and it also helps your company produce reports and stay in proper compliance with regulations. At Ventiv Technology we support the safety and risk management efforts of hundreds of companies that employ hundreds of thousands of people. Learn more about our safety management technology today.
