Traditionally, safety incentive programs have rewarded based on lagging indicators of workplace safety, that is, measures of safety collected after an incident occurs such as number of days without recordable injury. However, these lagging indicator programs give only the illusion of lowering injury rates, as they can incentivize the under-reporting of injuries not the actual reduction in injuries.
Incentive programs, especially those based on lagging indicators fall under the umbrella of behavioral-based safety programs, which stem from the theory that injuries result from the unsafe behavior of an individual worker. These programs are aimed at “correcting” workers’ behavior through positive or negative incentives rather than identifying and eliminating the hazard at the system or worksite level. As a result, behavioral-based safety programs are the focus of much controversy, and have been criticized for “blaming the victim” and discriminating against injured workers. Such systems often overlook the fact that unsafe conditions and job hazards (in addition to these unsafe acts) are the result of organizational policies and programs.
In March 2012 OSHA issued a directive that prohibited employers from instituting this form of safety incentive program. The directive states, “If an employee of a firm with a safety incentive program reports an injury, the employee, or the employee’s entire work group, will be disqualified from receiving the incentive, which could be considered unlawful discrimination” (https://www.osha.gov/as/opa/whistleblowermemo.html). This program is an innovative safety communication program that provides an effective alternative to injury reporting- based incentive programs. The program targets the creation of safe working conditions and augments feedback structures on-site that support hazard reduction and injury prevention.
The program is also based on the idea of positive reinforcement and recognition to encourage employees to improve their safe work behavior. With an emphasis on incentivizing team building to develop safe working conditions and practices, the program utilizes Predictive Solutions as a means of recognizing workers for their role in maintaining a safe worksite with fewer hazards.