Risk & Business Magazine General Insurance Services Magazine | Page 29
PROACTIVE VS. REACTIVE
REACTIVE RESPONSES
A reactive response is one which happens
as a reaction to an injury or an illness and
is designed to help minimize the costs
which are associated with that event. If
a management team chooses to go with
reactive responses more often than not,
it sends the message that they don’t care
about their employees’ safety. Regulatory
agencies, especially OSHA, really don’t
care what happens after an accident during
their investigations (but they will ensure
you fix it anyway). Insurance companies
aren’t going to give you a break on your
claim for making a handful of changes
after the claim happens, either.
HERE ARE SOME HALLMARKS OF
REACTIVE PROGRAMS:
• accountability often assigns discipline
after accidents
• “clocks” which incentivize not reporting
incidents (ex: “Pizza party if no
accidents for 1 month”)
• investigations try to fix the direct cause
and not the system which led to it
PROACTIVE RESPONSES
Generally speaking, these are the types
of responses made by employers that
take the ball that regulations throw
at them and run with it. Proactive
responses will take place prior to
accidents and help to anticipate those
accidents and prevent them. This
approach shows employees, whether they
realize it or not, that the management
and ownership of the company care
about their health. In the long term, this
is going to save a lot of money and is by
far the less expensive option.
HERE ARE SOME HALLMARKS OF
PROACTIVE PROGRAMS:
• hazard analysis
• safety teams, coordinators, and
committees
• safety equipment always on hand
• analysis after accidents attempt to fix
the system and not assign blame
• regular inspection programs
• incentive programs that promote
reporting what you see, suggesting
changes, etc.
• regular safety training and education,
not as a “punishment”
• accountability avoids discipline or
punishment
HOW TO BEGIN IMPLEMENTING
PROACTIVE SAFETY PROGRAMS
Implementing proactive programs
begins with communication. Start with a
written policy which uses clear language
and promotes safety as an organizational
value. When you do your normal weekly
or monthly meetings, add a section about
safety so you can go over your current
plans and your employees can vent some
of their frustrations or suggest changes.
Next up, start implementing safety
coordinators and teams. The teams
should be small and will handle their
sections of the business. Just like your
organization, the teams can have a
hierarchy and reporting will head
upwards. In this way, you have more
hands in the pot and will have more
people checking to ensure safety on the
ground level. It also allows you to ensure
everyone and every area of the workplace
has proper safety equipment.
NEXT, IDENTIFY
THE HAZARDS IN
YOUR WORKPLACE.
LABEL THEM. MAKE
SURE EVERYONE
UNDERSTANDS THE
DANGER. LIKEWISE,
IDENTIFY THINGS WHICH
WORKERS MAY BE
DOING THAT REQUIRE
SPECIAL TRAINING
OR PRECAUTION AND
ENSURE THAT PROGRAMS
ARE IN PLACE TO HANDLE
THOSE UNIQUE TASKS.
THESE SUGGESTIONS ARE
NOT EXHAUSTIVE, BUT
THEY ARE DEFINITELY A
GOOD PLACE TO START.
WHY THIS IS A GOOD THING
These proactive programs are a good idea
for a number of reasons, but the largest
may be avoiding fines from regulatory
agencies such as OSHA and lowering
some of your costs on insurance.
Insurance companies are going to value
companies that are going out of their
way to save themselves money and
promote safety. Why? Because it means
less claims. For business owners, this
means lower costs, lower potential fines,
lower risk, and (most of all) the value of
knowing that you are doing everything
that you can to keep your employees and
workplace safe.
TYING IT TOGETHER
Ultimately, reactive programs are going
to send the wrong message. They are the
equivalent of dropping a glass of milk
because you had wet hands when you
picked it up and then trying to blame
someone else for dropping it, pretending
like you didn’t drop it to begin with. It’s
very transparent and it’s not going to
fool anyone. Being proactive sends a
positive message not only to your own
employees but also to businesses and
regulatory agencies that you work with.
In other words: dry your hands before
you pick up the glass of milk.
Does your company have a need for
safety programs? Most do. Are you
following all applicable regulations and
taking some additional steps on your
own? Maybe your company is currently
doing the bare minimum it needs to do.
Do your employees know that you care
about their safety and well-being? To
begin a review of your current situation
and start implementing proactive safety
programs, like our Risk Management
Center, contact me at 219.809.2234 or
[email protected]. +
Kim Ramsey attended Purdue University
Northwest, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in
Organizational Leadership & Supervision and also
studied Human Resource Management. She is a
past board member for La Porte Meals on Wheels,
Youth Service Bureau, IU Health La Porte Hospital
Foundation, and the current chairperson for the
Tour de La Porte event. She lives in New Buffalo with
her family, and in her free time, she enjoys hiking,
photography, traveling, and spending time with
family and friends.
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