A recently released study by the United States Aviation Underwriters found that the most common reason for worker compensation claims was injuries sustained due to lifting, according to Aviation International News Online. Other reasons for claims included injuries caused by repetitive motion, falls, pushing or pulling and slipping.
Improper lifting alone resulted in more than 1,300 claims in the 10-year period studied by the USAU, and the average cost of a claim was found to be $8,606.
Employee incentives in the form of safety reward programs may help promote worker safety and decrease company costs.
When developing a safety incentive program, it is important to take employees' current attitudes into consideration. Workers' attitudes often reflect the employer's level of commitment. Generally, the more companies do to show workers that their personal safety is a high priority, the higher employee morale and attitude will be.
In order to achieve this, holding regular interactive meetings that are attended by management can help to establish that an organization is serious about safety. At these meetings, management should make it clear that welfare in the workforce is extremely important to them, and that they are willing to reward positive behavior.
For a wellness program to be successful, workers must feel personally involved. This can be facilitated by setting up a points program for reporting injuries and accidents, wearing protective gear, following safety guidelines and making suggestions to improve safety. Companies can recognize safety-conscious employees in a variety of ways, from publicly displaying the workers' names to offering gift cards, corporate rewards or paid-time off.
Companies with employees who are motivated to take safety seriously are likely to see significant decreases in injuries and accidents. This will result in less time off – and thus, a decrease in lost productivity – as well as lower insurance premiums.
According to Aviation International News Online, members of the National Air Transportation Association can also enjoy an additional incentive as a result of promoting worker safety. The NATA Safety 1st program rewards participants who have good safety track records with a bonus premium at the end of the year. Since 2003, $45 million has been returned.
