OSHA Ends its 'Safe + Sound' Week

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has concluded its annual Safe + Sound week. On June 12-18, the federal safety organization seeks to educate employers about the value of creating a safe environment. 

About Safe + Sound Week

OSHA explains that Safe + Sound week is "A nationwide event to raise awareness and understanding of the value of safety and health programs that include management leadership, worker participation, and a systematic approach to finding and fixing hazards in workplaces.

OSHA specifically addresses thee core elements in its Safe + Sound week:

1. Leadership commitment to maintain and optimize safety programs.
2. Direct participation from workers to improve workplace safety.
3. Identify and fix potential safety hazards in the workplace before they lead to an injury.

Safe + Sound week isn't restricted to large businesses; OSHA encourages all businesses -- small, medium and large -- to participate. By creating a "safe" workplace, you'll also promote a "sound" business. So, how exactly does a safe workplace provide value to your business?

How a Safe Workplace Benefits Businesses

More than 2.9 million workers are injured each year in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). While OSHA has specific rules and requirements that employers must follow, many employers ignore or overlook them; thus, placing their workers at a greater risk of injury. One of the reasons cited by employers for failure to comply with OSHA's standards is the time and money it costs. Buying personal protective equipment (PPE) for every employee in your workforce, for instance, can easily cost thousands of dollars.

Safe + Sound week is designed to show businesses that buying PPE and taking other steps to create a safe workplace is a smart investment. While buying PPE for your employees costs money, you'll reap the benefits of fewer work-related injuries -- and that means less Worker's Compensation claims and OSHA fines.

Furthermore, businesses suffer a loss productivity when an employee is injured. There are both immediate and long-term effects of lost productivity in this manner. Businesses may immediately stop their operations to help treat the injured employee. For the long term, the loss of a skilled employee means the business will have to hire a new employee, whom probably isn't as fast or efficient as the injured worker. These are just a few ways that employee injuries can hurt a business's productivity level.