All too often, safety initiatives stand alone, separate from a company’s overall strategy or core values. But at QIC, we believe strongly that safety should be a part of your company culture—more than just a standalone initiative or discussion and truly part of your company’s DNA. Of course, employees should be rewarded for safe behaviors, but most safety programs are flawed because they are too narrowly focused. The going philosophy goes something like, “If you go 100 days without an accident, we will give you X.”

Sounds reasonable, right? Wrong.

Focusing on trailing indicators—rewards that come after executing a desired behavior—incentivizes employees not to report some accidents, equipment issues, or unsafe behaviors just to ensure they get the reward they were promised. This all-or-nothing mentality creates winners and losers and reduces the accuracy of your workplace data, rather than engraining safe habits and attitudes into your employee population.

On the other hand, when companies focus on prevention and allow everyone to be a winner, they end up with fewer accidents, more accurate data, and more productive employees. This is why QIC programs emphasize leading indicators and behaviors that lead to safe outcomes in the future. We encourage near-miss reporting, observations, and suggestions from your workforce to prevent accidents before they happen. This approach ensures effective engagement by fostering an enduring culture of safety that is reinforced by rewards and recognition.