Identifying the Right Safety Incentives
Using incentives in safety training and culture is important, but an expert explains that it requires understanding which are the best incentives for your organization.
- By David Kopf
- Aug 01, 2024
Incentives play an important role in safety training and promoting a robust safety culture, though their effectiveness heavily depends on their design and implementation. That said, the use of incentives in those efforts has been on a learning curve.
Clare Epstein, General Manager, Commercial, at Vector Solutions sat down with Occupational Health & Safety to discuss finding the right fit for incentives. Epstein brings more than 20 years of leadership experience working with safety training and technology, enabling employees to be safer, smarter and better. She joined Vector when it acquired IndustrySafe (now VectorEHS), a provider of EHS software, where she previously served as chief operating officer.
Over the past few years, there has been some debate regarding incentives because of the drawbacks of misapplication. For instance, some incentives, such as rewarding employees with cash bonuses or similar awards for going a certain number of days without an incident or injury, might inadvertently discourage the reporting of injuries or illnesses. Basically, employees might fear jeopardizing the bonus for themselves or their team, leading to underreporting and undermining the true spirit of safety.
Therefore, it’s essential to approach incentives with some perspective in terms of the interplay between incentives and culture. In a strong safety culture, the primary incentive for safety training and adherence to safety protocols should be the fundamental goal of remaining injury-free and ensuring everyone’s well-being at the end of each day, Epstein explains.
“I think the best incentive is to create a strong safety culture where you provide resources for safety; workers don’t have to work extra-long hours; they feel that the equipment is up to date; they feel that safety is important,” she says. “And, if you look at the recent study that we just conducted, almost all of the workers in the industrial manufacturing space are working long hours. About a third of them feel that equipment wasn’t maintained and up to date. So, I would say if you take care of the basic tenants of safety culture, I don’t know how much of the incentives you might need.”
From that point of view, incentives that make employees feel valued and recognized, such as safety awards, can significantly impact the training approach. These incentives help employees understand that safety training and certifications not only ensure their safety—which is the top priority—but also contribute to their career growth and potential for increased pay, Epstein advises. Essentially, tying incentives directly to the employees’ personal and professional development proves to be a powerful motivator, fostering both safety and engagement in the workplace.
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.