Safe + Sound is a year-round program sponsored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), encouraging every business and company to have a safety and health regulation program in place. Each year, a week in August is designated to recognize the value and successes of these workplace programs and provide ideas on keeping Americans safe. This year, August 15-21 was Safe + Sound Week.
Businesses participating in Safe + Sound Week receive help to get a safety and health program off the ground if they don’t already have one. If they already have a program, they can use Safe + Sound Week as an opportunity to energize that program or use the week to recognize safety successes. In 2021, more than 5,300 businesses helped to improve workers’ health and safety. Organizations can simply register on the Safe + Sound Week website to participate and get access to information.
The Importance of Workplace Safety
Every year, according to OSHA, over 5,000 workers die on the job (a rate of 14 per day). Likewise, over 3.6 billion have suffered from severe job-related injuries or illnesses. A robust safety and health program helps businesses:
- Prevent workplace injuries and illnesses
- Improve compliance with laws and regulations
- Reduce costs, including reductions in Workers’ Compensation premiums as a result of fewer claims
- Engage workers
- Enhance social responsibility goals
- Increase productivity and bolster overall business operations
All workers must be engaged in establishing, implementing, evaluating, and improving safety and health in the workplace. It allows employees to understand they are a valuable partner in making their workplace safer, as they are encouraged to communicate with management about hazards on the job.
Management needs to take the time to listen and ask for employee feedback, creating an open dialogue for workers to raise concerns over safety issues without fearing retaliation. Of course, all workers should be provided with ongoing and updated safety and health training and resources. It’s also important to recognize and reward workers who are proactive about safety and contribute to a safe workplace.
On an ongoing basis, Manchester Specialty Programs provides safety and health risk management strategies and measures for the home health care industry in our blog. We are committed in partnership with our key insurance carriers in our program to helping your clients establish and maintain a safe and healthy workplace environment.
Not only is this good for workers and the patients they treat, but it’s also critical to the success of the home health care providers we serve, along with our agency and broker partners.
About Manchester Specialty Programs
We specialize in providing agents and brokers with totally integrated business insurance solutions to meet the needs of Home Care, Allied Health, Medical Staffing and Human/Social Services organizations. For more information about how our products and services can help protect your insureds and how we recognize accredited firms, please contact us at 855.972.9399.