Author: Jeff Edwards

As Vice President of QIC, Jeff oversees daily operations as well as the company’s strategic marketing initiatives. He has 20+ years in the incentive and recognition industry with prior lengthy experience in retail marketing/advertising and consumer loyalty.

Employee Safety – If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail

Employee Safety - when all you have is a hammerEver been ready to take on a task or project, only to find that you didn’t have the right tool for the job?  While not the handiest when it comes to mechanical, home remodeling or building projects – I do enjoy taking on projects myself when possible.  For example, I like to perform the scheduled maintenance on my vehicles rather than taking them to someone else.  I’ve also enjoyed laying tile and wood flooring in our home, among other projects.

These tasks become much more difficult, and the likelihood of an unsatisfactory result increases without the proper tools.  The same is true of employee safety programs.  The best strategy will include several elements – and your employee safety incentive program is only one of them!

Have a plan.  Consider your current situation – and the tools (below) needed to implement a safety program –and ultimately to establish a culture of safety throughout the organization.

Have the proper tools.

  • Safety Policies and Procedures should be clearly defined and communicated
  • Safety Training Guidelines by job type and responsibility
  • Establish Safety Teams / Regularly Scheduled Safety Meetings
  • Safety Gear
  • Establish Safe Operating Guidelines and Procedures for Equipment and Vehicles
  • Employee Safety Incentive Program

Have Patience.  It takes time to effectively work through the planning stages and, once implemented – to see results.  Think about those times when you tried to complete a project, and instead of putting it off until you had the proper tool, went ahead with less-than-desired results.

An effective employee safety incentive program will compliment and support all the other components of your safety program.  You may have a beautiful, shiny tool box – but putting a hammer in it and calling it done is not only inadequate – it can also be counterproductive.  Make sure you have the right tools for the job – contact us here to find out more about employee safety programs.

5 Program Design Dragons that must be Slayed

Watching the 2002 movie Reign of Fire (Matthew McConaughey, Christian Bale) left me with one overwhelming and undeniable truth: the free reign of undomesticated, large, fire-breathing dragons is not conducive to a life of peace and prosperity.  As long as those dragons are around all activities are focused on avoidance, survival and a meager existence… Read more »

Safety and Wellness Incentive Programs on the Rise

According to the inaugural 2014 Incentive Safety and Wellness survey by Incentive, budgets for safety and wellness incentive programs are increasing.  The survey also found that the primary reason behind companies’ expanding investments in safety and wellness is program effectiveness. Nearly three quarters – 73.5 percent – of respondents viewed their safety incentive program as… Read more »

Building Trust with Program Communications

The design of any recognition or incentive program should be based on thoughtful consideration of the program’s purpose and potential for positive change.  Clearly defined, measurable objectives further increase the odds for successful results.  In addition, you must employ effective program communications to inform, engage and motivate program participants. QIC’s IncenTrac online points platform is… Read more »

Managing to Motivate – Improving Employee Engagement

Monday I referred to Gallup’s study entitled The State of the American Workplace: Employee Engagement Insights for U.S. Business Leaders – and its finding that managers and leaders hold a powerful influence on workers’ engagement levels.  Employee engagement is enhanced when leaders focus on employee strengths – motivating them to participate in the success of… Read more »