One Surefire Way to Get Employees Involved in Safety

Is your company safety conscious? Of course, it is. Even if it isn’t, you said ‘yes’ to the question. Do your employees enjoy safety meetings? Of course, they don’t. What’s exciting about a meeting centered on rules, regulations, policies, and procedures?

Even if those very items aid in the health and well-being of the employee, there’s nothing interesting in it. There’s no direct WIFM (what’s in it for me) for the employee.

You can post safety signs, keep a running tally of the number of days since last lost-time injury, and talk about safety in all meetings, but the ONE way to get all employees involved is safety is to establish a near miss program with rewards and recognition.

What is it?

Employees report potential hazards or incidents that could turn into a safety issue, or a "near miss." That "near miss" then results in corrective action (mop up spills on a floor) or preventive action (change processes).

Safety concerns go from something your employees normally may not mention or even notice to something the entire team is looking out for. This will lead to fewer total safety hazards and, ultimately, fewer accidents at work.

How is a Near Miss Program set up?

1) Give out "Near Miss" cards to all employees (sample to download below).
2) Require every employee to submit one Near Miss each week. This is now a requirement for their job.
3) The Safety Committee or Safety Director reviews the cards weekly to ensure the corrective or preventive action occurred to fix the potential issue.

What's the WIFM for the employee?

A reward. At least once a month, pull all employees together and announce the top 5 Near Miss incidents. Award the top Near Miss submission with a gift card, cash, PTO, merchandise, etc. Make the reward impactful and enticing and the result will be an engaged workforce.

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