Page 70 - OHS, July/August 2024

INCENTIVES
Identifying the Right Safety Incentives
Using incentives in safety training and culture is important, but an expert explains that it requires understanding which are the best incentives for your organization.
BY DAVID KOPF
Incentives play an important role in safe- ty training and promoting a robust safety culture, though their effectiveness heav- ily depends on their design and imple-
mentation. That said, the use of incentives in those efforts has been on a learning curve.
Clare Epstein, General Manager, Com- mercial, at Vector Solutions sat down with Occupational Health & Safety to discuss finding the right fit for incentives. Epstein brings more than 20 years of leadership ex- perience working with safety training and technology, enabling employees to be safer, smarter and better. She joined Vector when it acquired IndustrySafe (now VectorEHS), a provider of EHS software, where she previ- ously served as chief operating officer.
Over the past few years, there has been some debate regarding incentives because of the drawbacks of misapplication. For instance, some incentives, such as reward- ing employees with cash bonuses or similar awards for going a certain number of days without an incident or injury, might inad- vertently discourage the reporting of inju- ries or illnesses. Basically, employees might fear jeopardizing the bonus for themselves or their team, leading to underreporting and undermining the true spirit of safety.
Therefore, it’s essential to approach in- centives with some perspective in terms of the interplay between incentives and cul- ture. In a strong safety culture, the primary incentive for safety training and adherence to safety protocols should be the funda- mental goal of remaining injury-free and ensuring everyone’s well-being at the end of each day, Epstein explains.
“I think the best incentive is to create a strong safety culture where you provide resources for safety; workers don’t have to work extra-long hours; they feel that the equipment is up to date; they feel that safety is important,” she says. “And, if you look at the recent study that we just conducted, almost all of the workers in the industrial manufacturing space are working long hours. About a third of them feel that equip- ment wasn’t maintained and up to date. So, I would say if you take care of the basic
tenants of safety culture, I don’t know how much of the incentives you might need.”
From that point of view, incentives that make employees feel valued and recognized, such as safety awards, can significantly im- pact the training approach. These incentives help employees understand that safety train- ing and certifications not only ensure their safety—which is the top priority—but also contribute to their career growth and poten- tial for increased pay, Epstein advises. Essen- tially, tying incentives directly to the employ- ees’ personal and professional development proves to be a powerful motivator, fostering both safety and engagement in the workplace.
Transitory Workforces
Of course, there are work environments where workers come and go because of the nature of the work. How do incentives work in industries with those kinds of tran- sitory workforces?
Here again, Epstein advises the founda- tion remains creating a strong safety culture and safety awareness. Incentives play a role, but it is crucial to ensure that employees in these transient settings are adequately com- pensated for their time spent on training.
Also, the training should be provided in a manner that is easy to understand and accessible, potentially in their native lan- guage, is also essential. These measures are
likely to be more effective in reinforcing safety practices and ensuring comprehen- sive safety training than traditional incen- tives alone.
Careful readers will note that Epstein con- siders getting paid to take training a funda- mental incentive. Does that remain a useful incentive with transitory workforces as well?
“I sometimes think of incentives in the typical way of ‘we’ll have a pizza party,’ or ‘we’ll give you a hundred dollars cash bo- nus,’” she explains. “I think those types of things might be less effective for a transi- tory workforce than paying them to take the training, having strong training, build- ing that strong safety culture.”
Paying workers to participate in training, coupled with delivering robust, accessible training programs, contributes significantly to building a strong safety culture. This ap- proach ensures that safety training is priori- tized and valued, ultimately fostering a safer work environment even if those workers aren’t there for the long haul.
Cultures Where Incentives Work
“If we’re looking at creating that buy-in and safety culture, we’re looking at mak- ing sure you have a commitment from the top down,” Epstein explains. “So leadership needs to be committed to it.”
So, employees should feel confident in
68 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2024
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