Page 35 - OHS, October 2022

percent increase in the manufacturing and wholesalers industry, showing the need for retention among warehouses to lower injury rates.8 Even more so, the injury rate among workers hired during a holiday shopping season increases as well, contributing even higher turnover. ThThis turnover can lead to increased injury rates, lower productivity and low employee morale.
A report found that lost productivity costs $1.8 trillion every year,9 and the cost of replacing an individual employee can range from one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary.10 With the cost of retraining a major burden for warehouses, implementing safety culture and technology can be the next step to retaining employees, keeping them both happy and healthy.
Safety as a Key Part of Your Company Culture
Safety culture starts with leadership, with the need for an emphasis on employee safety from the top down. If leaders aren’t encouraging and partaking in safety standards and measures, then employees won’t take safety seriously either. Executives need to emphasize and show their support of employee safety whether they have a role in the warehouse or not.
Data-centric safety technology such as wearable devices can be the answer for companies looking to create a safety culture while lowering costs and increasing productivity. This creates a higher standard of safety by going a step further than the standard safety regulations and shows your employees that you care for their
safety and wellbeing. It’s imperative that companies ensure safety by taking safety measures beyond compliance and regulation and using technology to keep workers happier and healthier.
Sean Petterson is the CEO & Founder of StrongArm Technologies.
REFERENCES
1. https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/costs/work-injury-costs/ 2. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/osh.pdf
3. https://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20200623/ NEWS08/912335254/Overexertion-falls-remain-top-workplace-injuries- Liberty-Mutual-2020-safety-inde
4. https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshsum.htm
5. https://www.osha.gov/memos/2021-01-08/2021-annual-adjustments-
osha-civil-penalties
6. https://lineagelogistics.com/news-stories/safe-more-than-just-word-on- wall
7. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.htm
8. https://www.selective.com/~/media/Files/S/Selective-V2/documents/
workplace-injury-trend-report
9. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/productivity-prohibitors
10. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/247391/fixable-problem-costs- businesses-trillion.aspx#:~:text=The%20cost%20of%20replacing%20 an,to%20%242.6%20million%20per%20year.
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