With the rising costs of insurance coverage, many businesses are looking at every option for cutting costs and lowering the price of premiums. While workers’ compensation insurance may be mandatory for most manufacturing plants, you can control the expense by having a safe, accident work environment. The cost of workers’ comp coverage is related to the number of reported incidents each year, and by lowering the number of reported incidents, you can improve the costs of your coverage. Here are some tips for creating a safer manufacturing plant.

1. Establish a Culture of Safety

It doesn’t matter if you are dealing with dock loaders or chain hoists Louisville operators. Safety should be the priority of every employee. Establish clear consequences for failing to comply with safety rules or processes. Safety should just be a speech you give your employees. It needs to be backed up by clear action. Each employee needs to feel responsible for their part in creating a safe workplace.

2. Conduct Regular Evaluations

There is a temptation to cut corners when production falls behind in order to get back on track. By conducting regular evaluations of the site and production line team, you can minimize this possibility. Employees who know an inspection is coming are less likely to take chances with these critical areas. Keeping the inspection time a surprise helps to enforce the need for continued adherence to company safety standards.

3. Implement Safety Incentives

Though you would want your employees to practice good safety habits for their own protection, it is helpful to provide an incentive for long-term compliance. Many companies offer a yearly safety award or quarterly incentive for different safety benchmarks, either falling under a threshold of recordable safety incidents or finding all areas in compliance during an inspection. Motivate your employee in addition to speaking with them continually about the need for safety.

4. Monitor Use of Technology

Cellphones are a distraction, especially for those who are operating large pieces of equipment or machinery. Noise-canceling earmuffs are often needed for protective measures, but having employees wearing headphones to listen to music or answer the phone makes it difficult to communicate and can cause confusion. Have clear boundaries in place for the use of cellphones, as well as other smart devices (such as a smartwatch).

These few areas can help you get your plant on a path toward lower safety incidents. By getting your entire team on board, you can lower the risk of accidents and injuries and lower your insurance premiums in the process.