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Small Business - Benefits of a Safety Program
Implementing an accident prevention program allows a small business to learn,
first hand, that the cost of accident prevention is far lower then the cost of
accidents. Recent estimates place the business costs associated with
occupational injuries at close to $171 billion in expenditures that come
straight out of company profits. According to the American Society of Safety
Engineers (ASSE), businesses can reduce injury and illness costs by 20 to 40
percent, and save as much as 5 percent of a company’s total profits, by
implementing health and safety programs.
An effective workplace safety and health management system will allow the small
business owner to:
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Recognize and remove hazards from the workplace
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Protect workers from injury, illness, or loss of life
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Cultivate informed and alert employees who take responsibility for their own
and their coworkers’ safety and for worksite safety as a whole
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Improve employee morale
An increased understanding of workplace hazards and remedies put managers in a
better position to:
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Comply with federal and state safety and health requirements
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Become more effective at their jobs, and Increase productivity rates and assure
product quality
An exemplary workplace safety and health management system is good business
sense that also makes financial sense. When workers stay healthy, the direct
cost-savings and bottom line improvements include:
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Lowered workers' compensation insurance costs through lowered injury and
illness rates
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Reduced medical and indemnity expenditures through reduced lost workdays
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Reduced expenditures for return-to-work programs, overtime, and lowered costs
for job accommodations
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Fewer faulty products and limited equipment damage and product losses
Safety and health also make big reductions in indirect costs, due to:
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Increased productivity and higher quality products
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Increased morale, better labor/management relations, and reduced turnover
Employees and their families benefit from safety and health because:
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Their incomes are protected.
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Their family lives are not hindered by injury
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Their stress is not increased
And, small business employers who operate an exemplary safety and health
management system may be eligible for the benefit of recognition by their state
and OSHA, through participation in the Safety and Health Achievement
Recognition Program (SHARP). Upon receiving SHARP recognition, the business
will be exempt from programmed inspections during the period that SHARP
certification is valid. Information on SHARP may be found by going to the OSHA
Web site (osha.gov) and searching for SHARP.
COPYRIGHT ©2008, ISO Services, Inc. The information contained in this
publication was obtained from sources believed to be reliable. ISO Services,
Inc., its companies and employees make no guarantee of results and assume no
liability in connection with either the information herein contained or the
safety suggestions herein made. Moreover, it cannot be assumed that every
acceptable safety procedure is contained herein or that abnormal or unusual
circumstances may not warrant or require further or additional procedure.
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