June is National Safety Month. Safety in the workplace should be a priority every day of the year, but Safety Month presents a special opportunity to emphasize its importance.
The U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics reported that there were 2.6 million injury and illness cases in the workplace in 2021. Employees deserve a safe, healthy working environment that promotes well-being, productivity, and appreciation.
As an employer, this month is a chance to highlight your commitment to workplace safety and celebrate the time, effort, and energy that your team members put into ensuring that your workspaces remain safe and your employees are well-trained in all safety elements specific to their jobs.
At Snappy, we know how much you value your employees and their safety, but do they know?
Here are five simple and effective tips for raising safety awareness across your organization:
Review Safety Plans
If you are a business owner or manager, you are responsible for setting the tone and culture for safety in your workplace. Not only should you be modeling ideal behavior and practices, but you should make it clear that safety is a priority. National Safety Month is the ideal time to schedule refresher training sessions on workplace safety protocols. Encourage senior team members to review protocols with junior members of the team, especially new employees – this is a great opportunity for leadership development.
Recheck Your Contact Lists
It sounds like a small detail, but while you’re reviewing your safety plans, take time to update all of your employee contact lists. Make sure you have a primary phone, email, and address as well as emergency contact information for all of your workers so that you can contact them quickly when necessary.
Invest in Onboarding
According to a 2022 article in Safety and Health magazine, insurance provider The Travelers Cos reported one in three (35%) workplace injuries happened to workers who were hired within the past year, regardless of age or experience.
Starting new employees off with the proper training sets the tone for a positive and supportive workplace. When new employees see that safety is a priority from day one, they are more likely to be invested in safety going forward, for themselves and their colleagues. Incentivize new employees to embrace your safety procedures and protocols by gifting them with company swag – it will make them feel like part of the team immediately! Plus, successful onboarding is the first step in building future leadership across your organization.
Focus on Physical and Mental Health
Take a look at your safety plans, do they include overall health and wellness factors? Make sure your employees have easy access to information about Employee Assistance Programs and mental health services. Safety goes beyond what people are doing and includes how they are feeling. Open communication allows employees to seek support if and when they are struggling.
Celebrate Safety Wins
At Snappy, we know how much you value your employees and their safety. But do they know? We can help you customize gifting and rewards programming that reduces risk, incentivizes safety and elevates morale and retention. For example, celebrate employee milestones and achievements like marking the number of months that pass without a workplace accident.
Our programs offer a physical representation of your employee’s safety achievements in the form of a gift they can choose for themselves. It’s something they want and are excited to have.
Did your employee take extra safety courses? Complete mandatory training ahead of schedule? Teach a safety course as part of new employee onboarding? Send them a Snappy gift collection and let them choose the gift they want the most to acknowledge their hard work and dedication to safety! Not only will the gift be a physical representation of their achievement, but it’s also a constant reminder of the value their company puts on their ongoing safety. Snappy lets you reward employees in a personalized way – which a pizza party or a gift card simply can’t match.