Positive Recognition Pays big Dividends

When an employee meets or exceeds expected standards of safety behavior they need to be "praised" for it in some way. Here are some ideas:

Complying with safety rules.

• A simple "Safety Hero" certificate for complying over a number of years.
• An entry into the "professional performance" section of the employee's performance appraisal.
• Safety bucks. When you catch someone doing something right!
• Formal recognition by the CEO (not some mid-level manager) for sustained professional performance.

Reporting hazards in the workplace.

• The ideas above.
• A bonus equal to a percentage (1% or so) of the direct accident cost the company might have realized had the employee not reported the hazard and an accident occurred.

Reporting injuries in the workplace.

• A simple "thank you," followed by an investigation of the accident and elimination of the hazard that caused it (that's leadership!).

Supervisors and managers, as employees, should be recognized for the above behaviors too. They should also be recognized for the additional four corporate behaviors for which they are accountable: 1. maintaining a safe workplace, 2. effective oversight, 3. quality training, and 4. applying accountability. In addition to the ideas above:

• An improved benefit package.
• Improved standing for corporate advancement.