Safety incentive programs can be hard to design and even harder to implement. They should be designed to encourage teamwork, discourage non-reporting of incidents and obviously encourage safe behavior. The biggest obstacle employers face in implementing safety incentive programs is to make them a seamlessly integrated part of the employee culture, not a feared element. Here are three suggestions that will enhance any safety incentive program.
- Make it Rewarding: Employees want to keep the workplace safe, but at the same time it is always nice to be rewarded for good behavior. Rewards don't need to be massive to be effective. Fixed cost options like gift cards to popular retailers like The Limited and GNC are great ways to show employees their safe behavior is appreciated, without breaking the bank.
- Make it Entertaining: Make your safety incentive program public. Keep a counter of "days without incident" in an employee common space to keep the program at the forefront of employees' minds. Make it fun, keep it light and address it often with the staff.
- Make it Simple: Don't overcomplicate an employee incentive program. Keep it simple so employees can internalize it and make it part of their daily routine. Simplicity breeds success in these situations.
