For manufacturers, the events of the last two years have caused the industry to become reactive to the ongoing uncertainty of our environment and forced a trend of navigating disruption. While looking for ways to make the industry disruption-proof, manufacturers have begun to recognize the importance of safety culture and employee engagement. Many manufacturers used to see safety, environmental and compliance concerns as something that clashed with productivity. But, in a study conducted by Advanced Technology Services with plant Engineering Magazine, it was discovered that 83 percent of operations personnel and senior management witnessed an increase in productivity levels following the implementation of a safety program. Leaders in the industry are now acknowledging that they are most productive when their EHS goals align with their operational objectives.Industry safety regulations can seem overwhelming, but not focusing on safety can result in employees being at risk and cause expensive damages, fines, and worker’s compensation costs. Even worse, it can result in damage to the manufacturers reputation, which in turn causes issues with hiring. So, let’s look further at some of the reasons why you should place a large emphasis on health and safety in manufacturing.
1. Employee Morale and Engagement
Accidents and extreme events causing death in the workplace can cause detrimental effects to employee morale and engagement. An increased number of accidents can diminish employee morale by triggering employees to become distracted and preoccupied, which ultimately makes them less safety-conscious as their minds are often elsewhere.
2. Productivity
Accidents and death in the workplace can have an extensive effect on productivity. The previously mentioned effects to employee morale and engagement results in your employees being less productive. Not only will your employees be distracted but they can also be interrupted by an increased number of investigations which decreases your organizations overall productivity.
3. Costs
Health and safety issues can result in major financial losses or even potential legal action. When your productivity is altered, your finances are also impacted. You may experience increased costs to fix expensive damages, worker’s compensation, fines and even personnel fees which all drastically effect your bottom line. These costs can add up over time with a reactive approach to your health and safety which makes your operational objectives harder to maintain.
4. Reputation
In today’s economic environment, public relations has become increasingly prominent with social media networks and news outlets becoming a part of societies day to day life. An increased number of incidents and even deaths can cause your brand and business to become negatively impacted which can cause issues with employee engagement, recruitment and even goal attainment. Though you may think you can easily repair your damaged reputation with time, remember it’s always easier to maintain your positive reputation that it is to repair a damaged one.
How technology can help your organization take your health and safety programs to the next level
Technology and digital innovations have transformed and streamlined other operations in manufacturing. According to the Annual Safety Report published by the EHS Daily Advisor, 41% of respondents said they were actively trying to take their safety program to the next level. Now it is time for manufacturers to take these digital advancements and apply them to their EHS programs to see how these solutions can deliver greater productivity and efficiency when it comes to controlling risk, increasing transparency, and improving overall performance in the manufacturing industry.Sodales’ EHS solution is helping to eliminate safety challenges in the manufacturing industry by helping you to create a proactive approach to your health and safety management. By recording, tracking, and analyzing all your incidents including near misses, employee injuries and vehicular accidents in one digital platform, your incident management process becomes streamlined and allows you to quickly determine problem areas and make the necessary adjustments to reduce incidents in the future.Learn more about how Sodales Solutions can help eliminate safety challenges for your organization and get you on your way to a proactive approach to health and safety management by booking a demo today.
