According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 3 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses were reported in 2012, which translates into roughly 3.4 out of every 100 full-time workers. Approximately half of the 3 million reported injuries and illnesses were serious enough to require time off from work. While there’s no way to completely prevent all work-related accidents from occurring, there are improvements proven by instituting Employee Safety Recognition programs workplace.

Direct Costs of Work-Related Injuries:

• Medical bills

• Worker’s comp

• Lost time

Indirect Costs of Work-Related Injuries:

• Loss of productivity

• Higher insurance premiums

• Lower morale

• Overtime expenses incurred by employees who are

• Cost of repairing broken equipment

• Broken customer/client relations

• Administrative costs

• Improved safety training to help prevent future accidents

• Loss of time by supervisors and management

• Cost of first aid kit and supplies

Note: The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) says indirect costs of work-related injuries are upwards of 20 times higher than direct costs. Many employers assume the only real cost of work-related injury is medical bills and worker’s compensation, but the list above proves this isn’t the case. There are far more indirect costs than direct costs, placing a heavy, and hidden, financial burden on the employer.

Employee Recognition and Safety

One technique that’s an effective way to promote a safe workplace across all industries is employee recognition. Recognizing employees who follow safe practices on a daily basis encourages a positive behavior that ultimately reduces the risk of work-related injuries. Perhaps you could hand out personalized plaque awards to employees who practice good safety habits on a regular basis.

Truck drivers are often rewarded for driving X amount of miles without getting into an accident. Doing so is a simple yet highly effective way to promote safety on the roads. Of course, other companies can use this same principle to promote safety in their workplace as well.

If you’re going to use recognition as a way to encourage safety in the workplace, let your employees know about it. You can verbally announce plans to launch a reward system for employees who practice good safety habits, or you can make a note in a visible, conspicuous area. The allure of being rewarded with a plaque, trophy or any type of gift should be more than enough to encourage workers to remain safe on the job, and that makes it worth the investment in the end.

AsapAwards.com is an expert with developing safety programs for small to large businesses accross the globe.  Let us show you some examples how you can reduce accidents for a fraction of the cost with Employee Recognition and Safety programs bringing a great awareness to an accident free environment.  Contact Us