New Trends In Safety
Over the years safety programs have taken on many forms. Some offer awards while others give cash incentives to employees that practice and promote safe behavior. Corporations of all sizes have reaped the benefits of a well-planned safety program.

Safety programs typically offer rewards and other forms of recognition to employees for performance related to “lagging indicators.” When the number of accidents, incidents and near misses fall below a certain level, employees are rewarded. In some cases, these programs create pressure on employees not to report accidents to keep the safety record intact, which makes it difficult to identify trends so that safety measures can be taken.

Recently safety programs have been abandoning their original “lagging indicator” design for a more proactive approach. Many companies have started to implement a “leading indicator” safety program. This type of program rewards employees for safety-related behavior rather than results. A “leading indicator” emphasizes reporting safety violations, making suggestions, taking steps to remedy unsafe situations and volunteering for safety committees.

Source: Safety Incentive Programs: What Works?, Occupational Hazards, www.occupationalhazards.com, August 11, 2004.