Does Your Company Need A Safety Committee?
5 Ways They Help Protect Your Employees
Workplace injuries are a top concern for businesses as they try to reduce the amount of time and money lost.
With workplace injuries costing companies nearly $62 billion a year, many organizations are looking at creating safety committees to help mitigate their risks and reduce the financial impact these injuries have.
Lead by a safety manager, the committee should contain members from every level and department across the company. These committee members should receive additional safety training that will help them identify and mitigate safety issues across the company. Ultimately, these employees will serve as safety advocates in each of their departments, according to an article on newpig.com.
If you’re considering creating a safety committee at your company, here are five key benefits they deliver:
They Show You Take Safety Seriously
Investing in a safety committee demonstrates a true commitment to safety within your organization. Rather than a few sporadic sessions, a safety committee can create an ongoing training program that will make safety a top priority with every employee within all departments.
Rather than look at safety as just a dollar and cents issue, safety committees help companies show that they are genuinely invested in the health and wellbeing of each employee. In turn, employees feel valued and more engaged with the safety program.
They Help Identify And Mitigate Risks
Trying to identify safety risks across a company is too big a task for any one person. It’s much more effective to have safety committee members serve as the front line for identifying and mitigating these risks. With committee members from each department, all employees have a person they know and have worked with. This makes it easier for the employees to discuss any issues they may have.
These committee members can also more quickly funnel issues to the appropriate person within the company, getting them resolved before they become major risks.
They Make Safety Part Of Your Culture
Holding training sessions only a few times a year makes it easy for employees to downplay the importance of this program. By creating a safety committee that regularly speaks about training, it shows that safety is a key tenet of your company’s culture. Once employees see that you’re invested in safety, they’ll make it a priority in their everyday work life, too.
They Get Everyone Thinking About Safety
By incorporating employees from different departments and levels of the company – floor workers, supervisors and upper-level management – safety committees help ensure that everyone regularly interacts with a person who is actively thinking about creating a safe environment.
Instead of making safety just the responsibility of the safety manager, safety committees help show that everyone is responsible for creating and maintaining a healthy environment.
They Save You Money
Establishing a safety committee can also positively affect your bottom line. Many insurance companies will give businesses a discount for creating a safety committee, according to an article on newpig.com.
Increasing safety initiatives and preventing workplace injuries can also lessen the costs of workers’ comp and help reduce the $1 billion that injuries costs businesses each week.
Creating and maintaining an in-house safety committee is a worthwhile investment in your employees’ health and safety. Not only does it show you care about your employees, it helps mitigate your company’s risk and reduces the cost of workplace injuries.
Start Improving Your Safety Initiatives Now