According to a recent report by Annals of Global Health Organization, only 5% to 10% of workers in developing countries and 20% to 50% of those in industrialized countries have access to adequate occupational health services. Although in a survey among International Commission on Occupational Health members from 47 industrialized and industrializing countries, 70% reported OHS being in place and 80% noted the existence of a national institute for OHS, the estimated coverage of workers with OHS services was only 18%.
Current estimates identify that nearly 90% of all accidents are partially caused by unsafe acts. Therefore, it is important for companies to have a Health and Safety Prevention Program, which results in a declined incident rate within the work environment. However, in order to practically implement this program; companies face various challenges such as lack of technology systems and procedures. Health and Safety Prevention Programs play a major role in industries such as Mining, Distribution, HealthCare, Manufacturing, Construction, Energy, Transportation, Utilities, Consumer Products, Chemicals, Biotechnology, and many more.
Here are some of the critical contributing elements of incident prevention and workplace safety:
Employee Safety Training and Certification
In many cases, lack of training plays a big role in the reoccurrence of unsafe acts, but the biggest challenge for many employers is indicating which employee is overdue for training. Employees face all types of hazards in their work environments such as, tripping, slipping, falling, working near motorized vehicles, working with machinery, or repeating the same movement while in an awkward position that requires a lot of force. Therefore, as a business operator, it is important to ensure all Health and Safety Training is being conducted for employees.
To solve this issue, companies need to implement a systematic approach to training/certification with details related to upcoming trainings, certification expiration, and due dates. Having a standardized process that allows companies to have a better visibility for training logs, will produce an overall safer environment for the employees and employer.
Safety Rewards Program
Another significant element to have in a safety prevention program is a rewards program. In some cases, new hires or existing employees lose the motivation to improve their workplace. The main reason behind this is the lack of recognition and appreciation specific to workplace safety.
A good way to appreciate an individual’s hard work in keeping a workplace safe is through a customized safety rewards program. For example, companies can design an engaging rewards program based on points accumulated for every hazard reported. Once a certain number of points is earned, they can be converted into a dollar value. The employee can redeem anything that is available according to the employer. This gamification approach is a great way to keep employees motivated. It also encourages them to find potential hazards and report it immediately before they intensify, resulting in a much safer environment for everyone.
Periodic Safety Meetings and Communication Programs
Another contributing factor is the miscommunication or lack of information that can lead to potential incidents. It is critical that periodic safety meetings and communication programs are established in every workplace. This can help avoid situations where it is harder to keep track of all the health and safety meetings and new policy updates.
To ensure that safety meetings are being conducted regularly and efficiently, a safety prevention program should have a functionality for managing safety meetings. These meetings can also help measure the employee engagement in safety related programs. By combining the above critical elements that promote workplace safety with a streamlined technology based solution, companies can significantly prevent their workplace incidents.
Sodales Solutions has combined industry best practices and design thinking to successfully innovate “Health & Safety Management.” We provide a cloud-based HCM solution with configurable tools to manage employee health and safety. The solution also comes with integrated services with SuccessFactors (Employee Profile, LMS and Time). This solution generates push notifications for all training sessions for staff and employers, screening, investigations, and corrective actions. It also allows you to capture meetings details and set potential meeting dates. It also provides guided workflows with follow-on activities with analytics on trending areas of health and safety. The solution also allows a rewards program with the ability to redeem points. It helps you manage claims with approval workflows, and add attachments, such as doctor’s notes, as well as track safety training. The capabilities of the solution have helped several organizations transform their workplace compliance.
Interested in learning more? I would love to set up a personalized demonstration and initial consultation for you. Please contact me at purva.r@sodalessolutions.com
Click here to read part A of this blog series:
https://www.sodalessolutions.com/blog/item/400-blog-series-important-of-a-ehs-solution-part-a
