Don’t Incentivize Workplace Safety

We recently reviewed an interesting blog post at Manager Link written by Lance Haun titled “Don’t Incentivize Workplace Safety.” 

At AwardSafety we develop and implement safety award systems for our client companies.  You might think it strange for us to link to a viewpoint that is essentially anti-safety awards, but it is just the opposite.  We agree with much of the discussion and conclusions.

Mr. Haun focuses much of his concern on the value of the award.  In the past, the value and

type of the award was a big part of the program determination….a TV, or $500, or a weekend trip, or a tee shirt.  In theory the size of the award dictated the motivational value of the program…and sometimes they worked.  But often they didn’t and many companies spent thousands of budget dollars on awards that didn’t do anything to change safety behavior.  They simply awarded those who were lucky enough not to have had an accident during the program period. Or worse, they had accidents but didn’t report them. 

In the past, almost 100% of these types of programs were driven by lagging indicators, and today, if a program is going to be effective and change behavior it needs to be based on leading indicators.  And the awards don’t need to be high value to get the results.

Behavior based safety that provides for consistent and continuous reinforcement of improved safe performance with minimal awards will help to build a last safety culture that will endure long after the last sweepstakes or safety game card has been played. 

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