Safety FAQ

 

 

 

 

Wouldn’t it be better if we did it ourselves, rather than hire a company to do it? 

 

           There are many reasons why a do-it-yourself approach is less likely to be successful.

• There are a lot of components to consider when designing the program that will be the most motivational for each company, and getting all of them right is not easy. Questions of individual, team or group awards; grand prizes or small awards; money or prizes, points, catalogs; how often and how, include managers and clerical, and so on.

• It sends a message to your employees on how important safety is to the company when you bring in a professional company that knows how to design and run a great program. Right from the start employees are motivated to make safety their priority.

 

 

 I've tried Safety Bingo. Why would your program work any better than that did?

 

           There is little or no interaction with safety bingo - no chance to boost morale, or talk about injuries. It is simply a gimmick, and if

           it works at all, it only works for a short time. Engage your employees! When you involve them and they participate in winning

           awards for being safe, safety becomes THEIR responsibility, and injuries go down.

 

 

 Not all Safety Incentive Programs work. Why?

 

           Safety Incentive Programs rely on games, gimmicks, or manipulation. An Injury-Reduction Program is more comprehensive and

           reinforces a company's safety culture.

           Our Injury-Reduction Program:

• No games or gimmicks. Employees recognize gimmicks, and even if they work for a little while, they do nothing to establish a safety culture in the long term. A program needs to be all about safety, not bingo, with no other qualifications.

• Visibility. The program thrives on visibility so we hold dynamic, interactive meetings every month without fail. If safety is really a priority, you need to demonstrate it by meeting frequently.

• Positive peer pressure is a key, but peer pressure only happens if there is a desirable reward. Pizza parties are nice, but they don’t change behavior. There must be a strong potential reward, without breaking the budget.

• Accountability means discussing any injury that occurs. We let the employees suggest how it could have been prevented. We don’t embarrass anyone, but we don’t let injuries go unnoticed, either.

•  

 

 I already have a program that is Employee of the Month. Is it the same thing?

 

           Programs like employee of the month, or others like it, recognize excellent employees. That's great. But do they change the

           behavior of the employees that represent the greatest risk? The key here is understanding that there is a huge difference between

           a "reward" and an "incentive". A reward is after-the-fact; like employee of the month, or a holiday bonus. An incentive influences

           behavior, and changes the way people act in order to generate a desired result. Our program is definitely an incentive.

 

 

 I don't believe in rewarding people for being safe. They should do this anyway!

         

          Yes they should, and in fact, most employees do. But not all of them. With our program, your most loyal and

          conscientious employees will be encouraging others to act more safely, for the benefit of everyone.

 

 

 What if top management doesn't support your program?

 

          The program will be less effective if senior management is not behind it. The message is most effectively delivered when

          employees believe that everyone in the company cares about their safety. If we know that a company's management team is not

          supportive, we must respectfully decline the assignment. We are dedicated to the same thing you are: absolute maximum results

          in the reduction of injuries and claims.

 

 

 I understand that getting employees to focus on safety could reduce legitimate injuries, but what about frivolous or fraudulent claims? How can you reduce these?

 

           Fraudulent claims are more responsible for breaking the system than legitimate injuries. Accountability means discussing every

           injury. When an injury that is not legitimate is discussed, it tends to shine a light of truth on the dishonest party. Our program

           encourages honesty, rewards conscientious behavior, and improves morale: all of which help to reduce frivolous and fraudulent

           claims. While it is not possible to measure exactly, the impression of many of our clients is that they saw their greatest reduction

           in the area of fraud.

 

 

 We have already tried our own internal safety incentive program, and it didn't do all that much. Why would yours be more effective?

 

 Implementing any kind of Injury-Reduction Program is a good idea, but there are lots of components to consider to get the best program.

• How often do you hold meetings?

• How much should you budget for the awards? Cash or prizes?

• Disqualifications - teams, departments, or individuals?

• Should everyone win something?

• When do you change the awards?

• What do you change if you have 2 or 3 bad months in a row?

• Who is the best person to lead the meetings?

• Your time and money are too valuable to take a chance. You are experts in your business. This is our area of expertise.

 

 How do I know it will work? 

 

          You don't. It's possible that your situation is so unique, that it is the one environment that won't respond to our program. But that

          hasn't happened yet. How sure are we that it will work? We offer a pricing proposal that provides a guaranty of claim reduction.

 

 

 Will an injury-reduction program discourage an injured worker from reporting a serious injury?

 

          All our programs deliver the same message at the kick-off, and at the beginning of every meeting: “The purpose of the program is

          to get all of you thinking about safety, about doing your jobs safely, about making safe decisions, and looking out for each other. It

          is NOT to cover up injuries.” Further, one of our rules is a disqualification of any team or department that we find out has not

          reported an injury immediately.