What Are Safety Leaders And Does Your Business Need One?

As the manager of your business, the safety of your staff is in your hands. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Act of 1970 stipulates that you institute measures to protect your workers from any injuries they might encounter while on the job. And one way to do this is to introduce safety leaders in your company.

People with face masks and safety helmets in a meeting

Who is a safety leader?

A safety leader is a member of your staff whose task is to ensure that their colleagues abide by the workplace safety protocols. As the title hints, this person should possess leadership qualities. It is important for them to be able to make sound decisions, allowing them to oversee the safety and general wellbeing of your team.

You can be the safety leader for your company. However, as workplace safety is a cross-cutting issue, it’d be wise to choose a staff member as the safety leader. They understand the working environment best, and they’ll seem more approachable to their colleagues. For this reason, there’ll be clear communication and expression of workplace safety concerns.

Why does your business need a safety leader

Now, if you’re wondering if it’s necessary to have a safety leader for your company, here are four compelling reasons why you need one:

  1. Ensures worker safety

A safety leader ensures that your company complies with OSHA regulations. They analyze the working environment to rid it of any potential health hazards. A safety supervisor also works under a framework that outlines their duties to help them realize their objectives efficiently. In other words, the ‘STARS’ model. It comprises:

  • Supervision
  • Training
  • Accountability
  • Resources
  • Support

Sometimes, juggling all of these tasks may prove to be burdensome to your safety supervisor. On this account, as the company head, you can make their job easier by offering any necessary assistance.

For instance, if you run a window cleaning company or any other contracting business, your crew goes out to the field daily to work on different jobs. They engage in activities that may be potentially high risk or hazardous, such as working from heights, directly using toxic chemicals, and facing exposure to more risks.

On this account, an increasing number of companies are incorporating monitoring software like that offered by Jobber, into their operations. This smart technology gives location signals in real time, meaning that should anything happen to a technician, help can be dispatched immediately in the event of an accident. Real-time location monitoring is just one feature of this business management software that has been designed specifically to support companies operating in the field service sector.

  1. Leads to more productivity

Having a supervisor in charge of your workers’ safety, or a safety leader as they are often referred to, reduces the risk of jeopardizing the health of your staff. As a result, your team worries less about potential work-related health hazards, allowing them to perform their duties to the best of their ability.

A safety leader is the go-to for your employees whenever a safety matter arises. For this reason, they should exhibit traits that make them approachable for their colleagues, such as showing genuine concern for their wellbeing. Your workers will see that you’re concerned about their health through the safety leader. Thus, they’ll develop a sense of loyalty and team morale, which will affect your business productivity positively.

Additionally, healthier employees are more productive. A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that employers in the US lose USD$ 1,685 per employee annually. Cumulatively, this amounts to USD$ 225.8 billion. These are productivity losses linked to personal and family health problems.

You can save yourself from such outrageous losses, which can be detrimental to your business, by instituting a safety leader to oversee the safety of your workers.

  1. Associated financial benefits

The amount of premium you pay for your workers’ compensation coverage is directly influenced by the susceptibility of your workers to be injured. Your insurance company analyzes factors such as the history of injuries and the likelihood of future injuries. And if these figures are high, your coverage shoots up.

To paint a good picture for your company, you need no more than a safety supervisor. Their mere presence in your business assures your insurers about your capability of maintaining your workers’ safety. In June this year, the total compensation slashed from your payroll for each member of your staff was an average of USD$ 38.91. With this said, you may want to ensure a safe working environment to reduce the amount of workers’ compensation you pay.

  1. Builds on community recognition

The popularity of your company is good for business. And having a safety leader can be an integral tool in marketing your business. Here’s how to achieve this. When your company abides by OSHA rules and develops safety programs for your staff, you attain the ‘Star’ level of OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).  And achieving this status is an honor.

As of the end of October 2021, there were 2,046 sites with this status. Having your company listed will do you a great favor in attracting more clients. This is because they’ll be more interested in doing business with you since they know you’re conscious of the safety of your workers.

Accident repercussions

Accidents can be costly for your company in terms of both insurance premiums and legal fees; employee morale; customer satisfaction. A safety supervisor may help to prevent these incidents altogether by helping companies to minimize accidents at source. Professional safety consultants can assess your operations and identify any risks that could lead to injuries or illnesses in employees, educate them on proper safety procedures they must abide by, conduct regular drills to make sure everyone stays in sync, and keep all pertinent documentation current. However, in the event of an accident you could face aggressive workers’ compensation attorneys and judges, as well as the U.S. Department of Labor. Therefore, having a safety leader helps reduce liability and protect from potential lawsuits.

Conclusion

The safety of your workers is of paramount importance if you want to maintain a seamless workflow and yield maximum profits. For this reason, you can incorporate safety leaders across various departments of your organization. They’ll benefit your business by overseeing the overall work safety of your staff, leading to more staff productivity, saving you significant finances, and making your company known to the community.

These are among the benefits you’ll enjoy if you have one. Therefore, a safety leader not only ensures their primary objective in the company by keeping the staff safe, but their work also substantially affects your revenue generation positively.

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