Safety pros have debated for years the effectiveness of incentive programs that reward good safety records.
Some companies claim real success in reducing workplace injuries using incentives.
Those opposed say these programs cause workers and supervisors to under-report incidents.
Not reporting recordable injuries on OSHA 300A logs can lead to fines.
And the penalties can be even larger in court. here’s just one example:
Ron Hubbard tried to collect workers’ comp from his employer, Hills Materials, for carpal tunnel surgery.
The company’s safety director contacted its insurance company saying his claim should be denied.
Hubbard took two days off from work.
But Hills had a corporate goal of less than one day of lost time due to injury for every 100 employees.
And the company paid more than $800,000 in incentives to supervisors in its attempt to reach that goal.
Hubbard sued to get comp, and his lawyer uncovered 20 cases of lost time at the company that went unreported.
Result: A jury awarded Hubbard $65,000 in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
Do you use safety incentives at your company? What are they? Have they been successful? How do you prevent workers from under-reporting injuries to get the incentives? Let us know in the Comments Box below.