Organizations today need to think strategically and creatively about how to get workers to accomplish inspections thoroughly and accurately.

One of the most successful methods is to incentivize workers, unfortunately some reward programs can lead to under-reporting, due to inspectors that rush the job just so they can claim their reward. A smart alternative is to recognize and reward good safety practices, which help foster a stronger safety culture.

Here are some tips and tricks for creating effective safety incentive programs that work:

Offer Rewards

A clean and safer workplace is made possible through the promotion of safety and risk awareness through engaging incentives. Reward those that conduct accurate inspections consistently. Get to know your employees by understanding what type of rewards they will be most motivated by, such as free lunches, vacation days, or tangible awards.

Recognize and Publicize Achievements

Workers who consistently conduct accurate and thorough inspections can be recognized and their accomplishments can be made public, for example through an employee of the month program or an announcement on your company website or social media. This establishes a positive example of the kind of fun and safe workplace that will actively reward and recognize the contributions made by the employees of the company.

Offer Training and Development Opportunities

The effectiveness of the overall effort and the enhancement of each person's performance may depend on training and skill development. Workers that consistently conduct thorough and accurate inspections can be given training and development opportunities, such as safety certification programs, by their employers. Workers may benefit from this by developing their talents and advancing their careers.

PROVIDE FEEDBACK & SUPPORT

Employee growth and improvement is often encouraged by supervisor feedback. Workers who consistently conduct accurate and thorough inspections should receive feedback and assistance from their employers, for example through frequent performance reviews or by being given the resources they need to succeed.

Incentivize Leading Indicators

Proactive, preventive, and predictive measures provide information about the effective performance of your safety and health activities. Leading indicators are crucial because they can inform you whether your safety and health efforts are successful in preventing incidents, in contrast to lagging indicators, which notify you of program failures or the presence of hazards.

An example of lagging indicators include previously recorded numbers such as the number of injuries in the last 12 months. Lagging indicators highlight employee mistakes and incidents, which can be demotivating. While lagging indicators are important, the way to build a stronger safety culture is by recognizing leading indicators and rewarding good behavior.

Workers should recognize the relevance of these indicators to keep the work environment safe from the risk of hazards. But they are more likely to be proactive about safety when they feel accountable, which is fostered through the promotion of a safety culture.

Inspection software from The Checker can provide you with the tools to make workplace inspections easier and the data to ensure your incentive program rewards the right people in the right ways

Ultimately, you can’t buy a good safety culture. You’ve got to cultivate it through everyday operations. Achieve the culture you want with actions that reinforce your company’s commitment to safety and improvement. Safety, workplace motivation, and positive incentives are all a part of promoting a safer and more thorough workspace mindset for the employees.

Tags: safety awareness, inspection management, inspection best practices

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