Last week I discussed how employee recognition programs can effectively motivate staff in the healthcare industry and I this week I would like to continue in this series by examining how award programs motivate employees in the manufacturing industry.
Part Two: Manufacturing Safety Award Programs
Safety compliance can be the difference between life and death for workers in the manufacturing industry and safety awareness and compliance is a major concern for manufacturers. The unsteady economy has been forcing manufacturers to find tools such as safety programs to reduce their costs. According to an article in Today’s Facility Manager Magazine from May 2009, “A recent study by Liberty Mutual found thatfor every dollar spent on safety, facility managers can expect a $3 to $4 return on the $1 investment.”
Clients of mine in the manufacturing industry have a wide array of safety-related objectives including: effectively reducing accidents, injuries and fatalities in the workplace, decreasing insurance premiums and absenteeism, increasing productivity and teamwork and boosting employee motivation. Depending on a client’s goals and employee demographics, incorporating communication and safety training, safety quizzes, peer to peer safety recognition and motivational safety awards into an online safety program is an effective method for promoting safety at work.
Safety program websites can be coupled with printed safety program supplements, but many of my cost-conscious clients will avoid printed supplements in order to maximize their safety award budget. Online safety programs provide employees with access to the award catalog, program information and participant content from any location at any time. In addition, administrative access and safety program reporting is accessible for program administrators via the safety program website.
However if employees do not have access to the internet or may be uncomfortable with an online safety program, traditional safety recognition awards can be given as employees reach important safety milestones. Depending on the size of a client, sometimes these safety recognition awards are personally presented by management while in other organizations the safety awards are individually mailed to employees.
Safety award programs pay for themselves and can positively impact your organization’s bottom line results. June is National Safety Awareness month and if you manage a team in the manufacturing industry, what better time than now to evaluate how a safety award program can motivate your employees to achieve your workplace safety goals?
Be sure to check back next week for the conclusion of my series on motivating employees in multiple industries in which I will focus on public utilities and municipality industry award programs.