Worker Safety Reward Program Cuts Workers’ Comp Costs by 75% in 4 Years

​Faced with $150,000 in monthly losses related to worker safety, a California-based long-term care company has implemented an organization-wide worker safety program that rewards staff for teaching and engaging in safe behaviors that earned it the Risk & Insurance PreVent National Employee Injury Prevention Award, according to a November 1, 2012, Risk & Insurance article. The program is intended to address the entire range of risks workers face in the organization's 36 sites in seven states, from burns tied to dishwasher use to injuries inflicted by resident violence. Workers earn points for engaging in various safety-related activities, from taking exercise classes sponsored by the organization to helping a colleague with lifting a resident or demonstrating proper resident transfer technique. Points are tracked by employees online and can be redeemed for gifts.