Risk & Business Magazine JGS Insurance Magazine Fall 2018 | Page 25

PROACTIVE VS. REACTIVE
Why Proactive Safety Programs Are
Better Than Reactive Ones
Y
ou run a small construction
company. One of your
employees is climbing up a
ladder with one hand while
holding some power tools with
another and, as a result, puts not only the
employee in danger, but also some of your
other employees. How do you respond to this? Here are some hallmarks of proactive
programs: or precaution and ensure th at programs
are in place to handle those unique tasks.
•
• hazard analysis WHY THIS IS A GOOD THING
safety teams, coordinators and
committees For one thing, the employee technically
hasn’t done anything malicious. It is simply a
corner that has been cut, likely in the name of
productivity. Either way, OSHA wouldn’t be
happy about what is going on. And if OSHA
isn’t happy, you probably won’t be happy either. •
• 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 fewer
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.
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. +
When it comes to safety programs and
regulatory compliance, there are generally two
types of responses: reactive and proactive.
REACTIVE RESPONSES
A reactive response is one that 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.
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 one month”)
•
investigations try to fix the direct cause
and not the system which led to it
PROACTIVE RESPONSES
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
longterm, this is going to save a lot of money
and is by far the less expensive option.
•
•
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 communications. Start with a
written policy which uses clear language
and promotes safety as an organizational
value. When you do your normal weekly
or monthly meeting, 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 and label them. Make sure
everyone understands the danger.
Likewise, identify things which workers
may be doing that require special training
BY: CONOR MORAN, CLCS
ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT
JGS INSURANCE
Conor Moran is a lifelong resident of
Monmouth County and graduate of
Christian Brothers Academy. Conor is
a graduate of the College of Charleston
with a degree in Business. Conor prides
himself on providing excellent customer
service ensuring his clients receive the
best insurance products to suit their ever-
changing needs. Conor loves to travel and
experience new and different cultures.
Closer to home, Conor enjoys spending his
free time with his family and friends at the
beautiful Jersey Shore.
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