Page 53 - Occupational Health & Safety, April 2017

INCENTIVES
The Incentive Starting Line: Where to Start When Designing Your New Safety Incentive Program
Incentives excel at motivating important behaviors. Incentives also motivate people to go above and beyond their job requirements.
BY DAVID ROARK
wondering what might happen next.
The low price of a barrel of oil leaves many com-
panies reassessing budgets and business models. At the same time, many companies recognize the power of incentive and recognition programs to improve safety performance, even when budgets are being cut and the future seems uncertain. In fact, the in- centive industry has grown in the face of these crises as many safety professionals search for a way to im- prove their safety performance with a solid return on investment (ROI).
Starting a safety incentive program can be a very effective move for a company, however, several impor- tant considerations should be assessed before design- ing and implementing a new program. OSHA guide- lines and ROI are two high-level issues that should be managed carefully. With that in mind, where should you start when designing a program from the ground up? It helps to look at common traps that people often fall into so you can avoid them.
First, people often get confused about the differ- ence between a “safety program” and a “safety incen- tive program.” A safety program is a group of stan- dard operating procedures, guidelines, and policies that define and manage safety within an organization. A safety incentive program is designed to encourage employees to go above and beyond within the com- pany’s safety program.
When developing any incentive program, it is im- perative that you first establish a few straightforward goals. When a client asks me, “What should I incen- tivize?” the first thing I do is discuss their safety pro- gram and where they have the most issues. Do they do GPS monitoring for their truck drivers? Have they been struggling with slip/trip/falls?
Figure out how you can use your safety incentive program to improve the existing safety program and company safety culture. Often, a safety program is de- signed by a safety professional. It is important to con- sider finding a safety incentive program expert to help you design and manage your safety incentive pro- gram. These experts can occasionally be found inter- nally, but consultants and solution providers are also available. The Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) directory1 is a valuable resource for finding solution providers and other incentive providers and experts.
Another major consideration is that many of the organizations you deal with on a regular basis will have an opinion on how your program should work.
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APRIL 2017 | Occupational Health & Safety 47
Last year, 2016, was a big year for safety incen- tive programs. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s newest anti-retaliato- ry rule, which was made in May 2016, forced
many programs to change. A new administration in the White House has left the private and public sectors
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