In 2019, the total cost of safety incidents at work was $171 billion. That’s about $1,100 per employee per year. While that may be a worrying statistic, recent research shows that there is a surprising way companies can improve workplace safety and reduce that cost.
Gallup found that businesses with high levels of employee engagement had 70% fewer safety incidents. That means a highly engaged workforce creates a safer workplace.
First, we’ll look at what employee engagement means. Then we’ll go into specific ways higher engagement rates benefit frontline worker safety.
What Is Employee Engagement?
To put it simply, employee engagement describes the relationship employees have with the organization they work for.
When employees are highly engaged, they enjoy their job and go above and beyond in improving workplace conditions.
By investing in the right tools, organizations can create and sustain a highly engaged workforce.
Mobile platforms like Beekeeper allow for real-time communication and feedback. Let’s look at why convenient, transparent communication translates to frontline worker safety.
1. Company-Wide Safety Campaigns
By switching to a mobile communication platform, organizations can be sure that frontline workers stay informed about important health and safety updates.
Company-wide safety campaigns have a much higher chance of making an impact when they’re delivered in a way that’s convenient and accessible for frontline workers.
2. Feedback from the Frontlines
When frontline employees have a chance to give feedback on safety conditions, companies can use that feedback to improve safety procedures.
Engaged employees have the tools they need to give feedback and they know that managers will listen. Employees who know that their voice is heard and valued are more likely to speak up when they have safety concerns.
3. Standardized Safety Procedures
The goal of standardized safety procedures is to make sure that all workers are aware of and follow safety measures consistently.
Mobile platforms like Beekeeper make it easy for frontline workers to access these procedures at a moment’s notice. That makes it more likely that safety procedures are put into practice on a company-wide level.
4. Safety Culture
Engaged employees who actively participate in making their workplace safer are inevitably creating a company culture where safety is a priority.
When safety is a priority, fewer accidents happen. And when they do, companies can report and analyze incidents so they don’t happen again.
Employee engagement raises awareness around safety concerns so that companies can put preventative procedures in place. Giving frontline workers the right tools to stay engaged ultimately leads to a safer workplace.
