For small businesses, workplace safety is essential—not just for regulatory compliance, but to foster a productive and efficient environment. A well-implemented safety program reduces injuries, lowers costs, and boosts employee morale. Fortunately, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) provides valuable resources to help small businesses establish effective safety programs.

Here’s a guide to key steps for successfully implementing a safety program.

1. Leverage OSHA’s Small Business Help Page and “Safety Pays” Tool

OSHA’s Small Business Help Page is a great starting point. It offers training materials, free on-site consultations, and safety plan templates—all tailored to smaller employers. OSHA’s free consultation service allows businesses to identify hazards and improve safety without the risk of penalties, making it an invaluable option for companies looking to enhance their safety protocols.

Additionally, OSHA’s “Safety Pays” tool helps businesses understand the financial benefits of safety investments. By estimating the costs of workplace injuries, the tool demonstrates how proactive safety measures can save your business money by reducing injury-related expenses like medical costs and lost productivity.

2. Prioritize Employee Training and Engagement

Effective safety programs require well-trained employees who are engaged in maintaining a safe workplace. OSHA provides extensive training resources on topics ranging from hazard communication to proper personal protective equipment (PPE) use.

Regular training should be paired with active employee engagement. Small businesses can foster this by forming safety committees, rewarding safe behavior, and encouraging open communication about hazards. Employees who take ownership of safety are more likely to adhere to safety procedures and report risks.

3. Measure Safety Using Leading and Lagging Indicators

A successful safety program relies on continuous evaluation through leading and lagging indicators:

• Leading indicators are proactive and measure activities that prevent incidents, like safety training sessions or inspections.
• Lagging indicators are reactive, tracking outcomes such as the number of injuries or lost workdays.

By tracking both, small businesses can better understand their safety performance and make timely adjustments. Leading indicators help spot potential issues early, while lagging indicators highlight areas for improvement based on past incidents.

4. Conduct Hazard and Risk Assessments

Regular hazard assessments are critical to maintaining workplace safety. Any business should periodically conduct evaluations of equipment, workspaces, and employee behavior to identify and eliminate hazards.

Immediate corrective actions—whether improving procedures, updating training, or investing in safer equipment—can prevent accidents and reduce risks.

Creating a safe workplace doesn’t have to be complex or costly. By leveraging OSHA’s resources, training employees, and tracking safety performance through leading and lagging indicators, small businesses can build safer work environments while lowering costs and increasing productivity.

Beyond OSHA’s offerings, MEMIC provides valuable online safety resources, including training videos and risk assessments. These tools can further support your safety program, ensuring your business remains compliant and safe. Policyholders can join us for a free MEMIC webinar, Small Business – Successful Safety Program Implementation scheduled for December 4, 2024. The webinar will take a deeper dive into the recommendations and resources described above. See you there!

Related MEMIC Blogs:

• Securing Success: The Vital Role of Safety Performance Metrics
• Safer Warehousing
• The Overall Benchmark for Safety Performance
• 4 Pieces to the Risk Assessment Puzzle 

Other MEMIC resources: Once logged into the MEMIC Safety Director, search for these titles:

• Webinar: Small Business - Seven Steps to a Safer Workplace
• Is Your Business Ready: Emergency Response
• Is Your Business Ready: Risk Assessment Table
• Self Audit Checklist