5 Reasons to Invest in Workplace Safety
Investing in workplace safety, especially in skilled trades, significantly reduces costs related to injuries and illnesses, lowers workers' compensation premiums, improves employee productivity, decreases absenteeism and turnover, and ultimately protects employees, customers, and the business brand.
Workplace safety is especially important in the skilled trades where workers utilize specialized tools and machinery, climb ladders, or lift heavy materials. Providing a safe workplace helps protect workers from injuries and illness, reduces absenteeism, and decreases turnover. In the U.S., private industry employers reported 2.2 million workplace injuries in 2021, up from the previous year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Without proper workplace safety measures, employees, customers, and the brand are at risk. With the right safety precautions and training, every workplace can be safe.
Investing in workplace safety is smart business. Not only does it help protect employees from injuries, but it’s also the right thing to do for your business. Here’s why:
1. Decreased Costs
The costs of workplace injuries and illnesses include direct and indirect costs, such as workers’ compensation payments, medical expenses, legal services, training replacement employees, lost productivity, lower employee morale, and absenteeism.
When employees know how to use tools and equipment, including personal protective equipment, properly, the risk of incidents drops. Most safety programs focus heavily on safety training, which can bring significant cost reductions.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that for every $1 invested in safety programs, companies experience $4 to $6 in savings. Workplaces with effective safety and health management systems can reduce workplace injury and illness costs by 20 to 40 percent.
Safe workplaces have lower premiums for Worker’s Compensation insurance, which covers medical expenses and lost wages for employees injured on the job. Too many workers' compensation claims can flag workplace safety issues and raise insurance rates.
2. Improved Employee Productivity
Safety can sometimes be perceived as an impediment to operations, but research shows that a safer workplace results in a more productive workforce. Regular safety training sessions help keep safety incidents down and make workdays more productive. Online training with short, on-demand videos can make it easy to fit workplace safety training into even the busiest schedules.
Injuries take employees out of the workplace, creating lost working hours and putting an added burden on remaining employees. One Harvard study estimated that absenteeism alone takes $150 billion annually from the U.S. economy’s productivity.
3. Better Recruitment and Retention
Many skilled trades are physically demanding, so keeping employees happy is critical to recruiting and retaining a talented workforce. Safe and healthy workplaces typically have higher employee morale, which increases retention. When recruiting talent, new hires want to know their employer will keep them safe. A survey of small business employees found that workplace safety was among the top criteria employees consider when evaluating a new job offer.
When staff feel that their employer has done everything possible to ensure their safety, they can feel much more positive about the company and management. This can lead to a stronger employer-employee relationship and boost productivity.
4. Enhanced Protection from Liability Lawsuits
No business wants to make headlines because of an accident at its workplace. Proper safety procedures can minimize the risk of an accident or injury that will draw negative attention or even a lawsuit. Companies without effective workplace safety measures put themselves at risk for litigation from employees harmed on the job. An effective safety training program can reduce the risk of injury and, if a lawsuit occurs, demonstrate that the company did all it could to improve safety.
5. Compliance with Regulatory Requirements
Employers must comply with all applicable standards from OSHA, including the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act, which requires employers to keep their workplace free of serious recognized hazards. Employees trained on safety best practices and appropriate precautions are less likely to be injured.
Federal law entitles employees to a safe workplace, and OSHA has been increasing its prosecution of safety standard violations. OSHA standards apply to all businesses regardless of size or sector. Failure to comply can lead to serious penalties, but safety training can help ensure regulatory compliance. A survey by Safety+Health Magazine found that 61% of respondents conduct worker safety training to be in compliance, and 49% do it to go beyond compliance.
Industry-Specific Safety Plans
Each industry has its own best practices, but proper equipment use and training are essential to keep everyone safe and healthy. Every safety program should be tailored to fit the company, its operations, and culture. Different types of businesses face different risks, and those creating safety plans should evaluate OSHA requirements by industry.
Certain industries experience higher levels of injuries than others, and workers in all trades, particularly skilled trades, face potential safety hazards. Data shows industries related to transportation, construction, and manufacturing are among those with the most incidents.
OSHA’s most frequently cited standards violated in FY 2021 include:
- Fall protection, construction
- Respiratory protection, general industry
- Ladders, construction
- Hazard communication, general industry
- Scaffolding, construction
- Fall protection training, construction
- Control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), general industry
- Eye and face protection, construction
- Powered industrial trucks, general industry
- Machinery and machine guarding, general industry
According to OSHA, there are five elements that every effective program should have:
- 1.Management leadership and employee participation
- 2.Workplace analysis
- 3.Hazard prevention and control
- 4.Safety and health training and education
- 5.Program evaluation
Online Workplace Safety Training
Safety training is essential to a safe workplace, but developing and maintaining an effective training program that matches employees’ schedules can be challenging. Online safety training can give employees the knowledge they need to perform work safely and help prevent incidents and injuries while allowing them to train anytime, anywhere.
Online learning provides flexibility, so there’s no need to take people off the job and get them in the same room for safety training. They can train in their downtime using a phone, tablet, or computer. With online training, you can assign safety courses, assess worker skills, track progress, and monitor compliance while allowing employees the flexibility to complete their safety training at their convenience on any device.
Online training can arm your workforce with the necessary skills to perform work both safely and effectively to keep their co-workers, your customers, and your business safe.
Start Building or Enhancing Your Safety Program Today
To learn more about the benefits of online safety training for skilled trades, consider reaching out to a provider of online safety training solutions.