Imporatance of Recognition – TALK SAFETY USA

Importance Of Recognition

Almost everyone will get recognized for negative things that they do, but it is much less often that individuals are recognized for the positive things that they do. This unfortunate circumstance is something that all people should work to change in the workplace as well as their personal lives. In recent years, more companies have begun to implement employee recognition programs, with safety recognition being included. However, there are good and bad ways to manage a safety recognition program.

OSHA’s Take On Safety Incentive Programs

Many people think that OSHA disapproves of safety incentive programs because they increase the likelihood of workers not reporting injuries sustained on the job. According to OSHA, “employers must not use incentive programs in a way that penalizes workers for reporting work-related injuries or illness.”. What this means is that a safety incentive program should be implemented in a way that provides motivation to work safely, but not so much so that workers will avoid reporting incidents to not lose out on a prize.

Examples Of Incentive Programs To Avoid

A cash prize incentive for a work crew going 30 days without a lost time incident. If one employee reports a lost time injury, and the whole crew loses out on the prize as a result, the crew may be pressured not to report a lost time incident in the future.
A program where workers a crew is rewarded for reporting 100 safety observations per month. The goal may not be met by the workers, even if they have been exceptional in the safety department for that month.

Examples Of Good Incentive Programs

Handing out small prizes, hosting a raffle, providing free lunch etc. for a certain amount of potential hazards reported/corrected.
Handing out tokens, certificates or plaques for continued safe work.
Shouting out workers during morning huddles for safe work or reporting potential hazards.
Handing out raffle tickets to workers who have served as a good role model for safety to their team to be entered into a pool for a small reward.

The common factor between these good incentive programs is that the recognition is still meaningful enough to incentivize safe work, but does not discourage reporting of incidents or punish workers for not meeting program goals.

Recognize Friends And Coworkers

While recognition from your employer can lead to increased job satisfaction, recognition from friends and coworkers can sometimes be more important. Workers should be encouraged to let others know when they recognize their good work practices. This can even be incorporated into a safety incentive program where workers are entered into a raffle based on coworker recognition of safety.

The main thing to understand is that it feels good to be recognized for the good that we do. It encourages us to do in the future and to recognize others for the good that they do. Thus creating a cycle of recognition that improves the job satisfaction of the group and creates a team/family environment.