Launching a new and exciting workplace safety program sounds easy, but without an ongoing safety incentive program, the overall results may fall short of your objectives.

Reward and recognition for a well-done job fulfill the basic human need for affirmation and acknowledgment. When your personnel receive recognition for their contributions, they will naturally engage at a higher level and contribute more to the company.

Successful health and safety managers should incorporate the concept of reward and recognition into their safety programs to drive positive safety behavior.

“Safety Bucks” Program

“Safety bucks” is one example of an incentive program. It is an earnable, tangible, safe-conduct-reinforcing, and behavior-modifying reward that is given for safe actions in the workplace. Personnel can save and redeem their safety bucks for various reward items.

This program is a popular approach with employees regarding rewarding safety efforts. Supervisors and managers should carry safety bucks and give them to employees who identify a hazard, warn a coworker, suggest preventing injury, or report an injury or near miss. By rewarding them after the performance, health and safety managers will reinforce the desired behavior, motivating the personnel to become more aware and involved in detecting unsafe work practices and conditions.

Point System

The point system is another often-used safety incentive program. The primary criteria for awarding points in a point-based incentive system are based on proactive safety behavior. For example, an employee might get five points for attending a safety talk or conducting a safety inspection, three points for making a safety suggestion, one for being injury-free, etc. Rewarding employees for a wide range of safety activities forces you to spread those points around, ensuring that as many employees as possible are engaged in the company’s health and safety management program.

Tips for Sustaining a Safety Incentive Program

Keep it simple and clear. Promote the program often and ensure that everybody is engaged in the process. Your incentive program's goals should be clear and measurable. What is the program rewarding? Does it reward outcomes, behaviors, or both?

Give meaningful and genuine rewards. Ensure that employees are not given awards that nobody wants. Connect with professional award distributors to ensure a variety of outstanding awards are delivered promptly.

Provide verbal and written feedback. Personal engagement with personnel is essential. Also, all employees should be given an equal chance at recognition and rewards. Use announcements, weekly meetings, rewards posters, and teasers to make a big deal about the incentive program and excite your personnel.

A good safety incentive program is just one aspect of your company’s health and safety program—but it’s vital.

Takeaway

The primary goal of safety incentive programs is to reduce injuries and accidents and to get the entire company on board. To ensure the effectiveness of your safety incentives, reevaluate them frequently. Regardless of your approach, incentives should always motivate proactive safety behavior.