Your Company Culture Must Emphasize Safety If You Want to Keep Insurance Premiums Low

Increased claims for workplace injuries is a significant factor in the increase of worker's comp insurance premiums. You might think, "Well, I'll do more to prevent accidents. My injuries will drop, and I'll be able to maintain my current premium rate.” That strategy, while sound, is easier said than done.

If you want to lower the number of injuries at your business, the first thing you must do is integrate safety into your company culture. Safety must be part of your workflow, not merely a catch-all word for "being careful."

What keeps companies from improving their safety record?
The National Safety Council reports that companies with top safety records have integrated a safety mindset into all levels of their structure. Everybody from senior management on down focuses on safety as a top priority and vigorously works on improving and enforcing the program.

Companies with poor safety records might say they are concerned about safety, but they have little in their policies and procedures that support safety as necessary.

Here are the main reasons why companies have poor safety records:

• They accept unsafe behavior as usual. They allow workers to perform certain activities dangerously even when they know it's risky.
• Groupthink rules the management. When somebody points out that something is unsafe, they are immediately shut-down even if correct. Employees won't report issues because they don't want to aggravate management.
• Complacent attitudes while performing mundane and repetitive tasks. This is a hard habit to break, both individually and as an organization. We all have tasks we do several times a day without thinking because they are comfortable and routine. However, this complacency can lead to severe injuries.
• Poor training is a big contributor to injuries. It's also one of the easiest to fix. By properly training employees with effective safety skills and encouraging safety on the job, injuries are reduced.

Clear Steps To Make Safety Part Of Your Company Culture
Companies that have taken the following steps have successfully integrated safety into their company culture. They have seen success in lowering the rate of injuries and lost employee time.

• A company culture that's centered on safety begins at the top. It must be one of the core values of a company. Top leadership must not only push the agenda but also abide by it.
• The company must develop a written policy about safety and abide by it. There must be discipline and consequences for people who break the rules.
• Focus on prevention. Perhaps you could set up a suggestion box to improve employee engagement on the issue.
• All employees should participate in safety training, meetings, and conferences. Safety has different meanings in each of your company's departments. So, having a variety of people learning safety techniques allows them to adapt the rules to their workspace.

Your company culture is powerful. It determines how your employees approach their jobs and your customers. By making safety a part of your culture, you are putting your employees in a safety mindset.

Culture Insurance clients know they have a safety resource only a phone call away. We are a premier boutique insurance company serving the San Diego area. We offer a full suite of business insurance and risk management advice.

If you are looking to improve the safety at your workplace, we encourage you to contact us.