What is the relationship between safety at work and the productivity of that work?

Organisations that fail to take all possible safety measures are obviously more at risk of accidents and injuries – and in many countries, a risk of prosecution.

These consequences can naturally have a negative effect on performance and productivity.

However, these are only the direct consequences of the failure to tackle safety seriously.  There is also a range of indirect or secondary factors. Some of these are fairly obvious, others perhaps less so,

For example, there may be a loss of core and key skills as workers are injured (or worse).This can harm performance immediately and severely – and has an impact on both hiring and staff training costs as the organisation tries to replace those skills.  This is exacerbated if current employees look at the safety recored and decide to take their skills and experience to a safer competitor. (This can even be the start of a vicious cycle of decline as the problem worsens over time.)

If a series of accidents is made public (and if the accidents are serious, then word will spread) the organisation’s reputation will suffer. Again, this impacts on potential employees who will not want to join an organisation that may fail to look after their well-being.  It is also possible that the publicity will impact on potential customers and their desire to do business with a company that fails to safeguard its employees.

All organisations should:

  • Ensure that process and work design puts safety front and central in the design process, eliminating potential accidents at this earliest stage.
  • Avoid bottlenecks that can induce and increase stress
  • Design tools and equipment the help prevent accidents and errors
  • Collect and analyse data on accidents and incidents so that all hazard points are identified and dealt with
  • Have comprehensive and robust preventative maintenance processes and schedules, to ensure accidents never occur through poorly maintained machines and equipment
  • Regularly review environmental conditions – heating and, especially, lighting.
  • Ensure all cleaning staff are taught to recognise and report all safety hazards
  • Where technically and economically possible, use self-monitoring equipment that can identify emerging faults and defects
  • Adopt realistic performance targets that are based on safe working.

 

As a bonus, these factors should also reduce total operating costs, reduce the costs of poor quality,  reduce carbon emissions, lower electricity consumption, and provide sustainability and environmental benefits. 

The answer to our original question is that productivity and safety are positively correlated.