5 Key Reasons Why Workplace Safety Can’t Be Ignored
Although there has been a 10.7% decrease in workplace injuries in the US, it continues to be a major issue in the employment sector. Indeed, no company wants to add to the statistics of injuries sustained at work. However, as long as the risk remains, it can happen at any time. Workplace safety is a preemptive measure an employer needs to take to ensure that the business remains operational without compromising employee safety. Failure to do so could result in damages you may not have imagined. These are some reasons explaining the importance of workplace safety at all times.
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Fewer compensation claims and less financial loss
Indeed, no business likes to run at a loss, and this is something many (if not all) businesses have in mind. Compensation claims can take a toll on the financial coffers of a company. In addition to that, it can halt some vital operations within the business. This is especially when the money lost to compensation was used to settle several injured workers.
Depending on the extent of injuries, your company may be responsible for taking up the cost of medical care and other fees that may arise from there. It doesn’t matter if only one worker was affected. This is because a single worker’s injuries could translate into hundreds and thousands of dollars in compensation. In some cases, companies have had to pay millions of US dollars as a settlement. However, if you had taken the necessary steps to reduce or eliminate the risk of workplace injuries, you wouldn’t have to dole out large compensations. When you find yourself in such a situation, you may have to hire insurance claim attorneys to help you out.
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Reduced absenteeism
According to a 2019 Deloitte survey on compensation packages, the organization indicated that healthy workers are 90% more bound to be present at work. The report further stated that companies that take employee wellbeing at heart have higher results with their work attendance. However, it is not the same for businesses that only place revenue and profit first. An absent employee means you are likely to lose out on specific functions for one or more days.
In the event of a workplace injury, that employee is likely to miss work for a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of one year. In the case of the latter, you may be obliged to keep paying them their salaries and all other benefits until they return to work or are declared unfit for the work environment.
It is worth noting that whether the workplace injury was severe or not, some time off work is needed as part of the procedure. It also conforms with US labor law. At worst, you may have to find a permanent or temporary replacement until routines regularize. Worker absenteeism has a negative impact on efficiency and productivity.
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Corporate reputation
Corporate reputation and public image work hand in hand. As a matter of fact, nobody wishes to be associated with a company perceived to treat its employees poorly. Unfortunately, when that happens, the likelihood of the public seeing your business as insensitive can be extremely high. When a workplace injury occurs, that injured employee no longer becomes a number. Instead, the public sees them as individuals whose safety was not guarded, leading to their injury.
The truth is, customers, clients and leads, in general, are always on the lookout for organizations with untainted reputations. That is why even a single workplace injury case can mar your hard-earned brand image. Indeed, safeguarding your workers’ welfare and wellbeing can have positive ripple effects on the business. It reflects your establishment’s compassionate and thoughtful side, and these are elements that humanize your company.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 4.679 employees lost their lives due to workplace injuries in a single year (2014). This caused the US public to feel incensed over what seemed like a lack of care and sensitivity to workplace safety. This led to the public boycotting of most of these companies. According to news reports, police had a tip-off which led to the quelling of potential property destruction of some of these establishments. Although the destruction of company property was thwarted, it did nothing to stop the public apathy that followed soon after.
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Increased productivity
In places where employees fear for their safety at work, apathy may set in. Your workers will take extreme precautions at work, and that includes not working to the best of their abilities. Subsequently, this affects work enthusiasm and output. It is natural to limit personal input, especially when the work environment feels unsafe. For example, in high-risk factories where the probability of workplace accidents is high, the employer takes extreme steps to ensure the safety of workers. However, in a scenario where no preemptive measures are taken, these factory workers are likely to restrict their physical efforts.
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Employee retention
A safe working environment compels employees to stay longer with a company as it indicates that their employer has their welfare at heart. It boosts morale and helps to decrease anxiety among workers. Meanwhile, according to researchgate.net, employee retention boosted by a safe working environment improves workers’ psyche. In many cases, when an employee feels unsafe in the workplace, they start to look elsewhere for jobs.
Sometimes, you could have droves of them searching for another employer with a positive track record. In a worst-case scenario, you could have so many workers leaving within the same timeframe that you end up thinking about why you have such a high turnover. The answer may very well be your inadequate attention to safety details in your company.
So, when you start to notice a gradual exodus of employees, you may want to start looking for internal problems rather than external glitches. Waiting too long to do an internal evaluation may cost you more than you ever envisaged.
To conclude, workplace safety is essential to the employer/employee relationship. Admittedly, more needs to be done to enhance safety in the work environment.