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Workers' Comp, Safety and
"Us vs. Them" Syndrome

Several years ago while on a business trip to Washington, D.C. I had the opportunity to meet the Vice President of the United States. We shook hands and said hello.

My immediate thought was, "Uh oh, please don't let anything ever happen to the President!" The man said hello, he smiled, but no one was home or even in the neighborhood. He was there playing his role of meeting "concerned business people." He was obviously told to be there, it was his "duty" to be there (at least physically) but he wasn't there to actively problem solve.

How did I know that? How did I know so positively that that man, at that time was not interested in our concerns? After all, he said all the right things to us. I perceived the simple truth, that's all. Please don't get me wrong, who knows what important matters were on this powerful person's mind at the time. However, that doesn't alter what was perceived.

 
The love of your life, the salesman you really like, the boss you respect the most, your best friend, and even your mother: their capacity to speak the truth plays a key role in the foundation of your relationship with them. How do you know they are speaking the truth? You just know.

In the same way, you know the person who approaches you on a downtown street trying to sell you an "authentic" Rolex for $50 isn't telling you the truth. Is it the fact that he can't look you square in the eyes because his shifty eyes are darting around like a molecule of water about to boil? That could be part of it, but you just know when you are being told the truth.

Of course there are exceptions. We have all been fooled by master fabricators. However, if you recollect, at some level, you knew something was askew and perhaps even talked yourself out of "knowing."

But like a politician who makes empty promises for your vote, it is only a matter of time before people perceive the truth. Its recognition is part of our survival DNA perhaps.

What does truth have to do with reducing workers' comp costs and safety?

 
Curious to find out more about why most injury prevention and safety training didn't net good results, I observed employees filing into Safety Training Classes. Watching them made me flash back to my mother clipping on my bow tie on Christmas day, making me go to my aunt's house for the day. A great deal of the safety training was, in fact, more for company liability consideration than it was for the employees' benefit.

Employees perceive the truth too. They know when the company is doing something for them, or colloquially speaking, the company is covering their own behind.

Why do you have safety training? What is the purpose? If you are really honest you might find that either OSHA mandates it or work-related injuries are costing the company too much money. Have you ever wondered why employees "never listen"? They are actually listening, quite well.

 
When the goal is to stop injuries because you care about your employees' health you don't need free donuts! Who is the ultimate winner if employees don't get hurt? Employees! Who feels the pain when they do? Employees do! Who saves a lot of money on workers' comp when employees stay healthy? The employer does!

Backsafe® and Sittingsafe® injury prevention training is for the wellbeing of the employees. The fact that workers' comp spending precipitously drops is merely a by-product of accomplishing the purpose of injury-free employees.

The truth communicates well. There isn't a union or employee population anywhere that won't accept needed help if it is offered sincerely and with the correct reason.

  
If your workers' comp is too high; your safety classes are met with the same enthusiasm seen at a dentist office; or if your employees perhaps don't practice what was taught in training, then perhaps it is time to re-evaluate the reason you are conducting safety and injury prevention training.

It is a joy to work for a company that is making good money and that has happy employees. Your employees spend more waking hours on the job than they do with their families. Showing employees that they are important means a lot to them.

In summary, Backsafe and Sittingsafe injury prevention training accomplishes more than just significantly lowering your workers' comp costs. It shows your employees that their welfare is important to the company. You see, they know the truth.

We have over 1,200 Injury Prevention Specialists in North America to help you tell it! Please call us to discuss how we can help you to stop workers' comp spending and to help you show your employees that you care.

Dennis Downing, President
Future Industrial Technologies

Check out our new blog: www.backsafe.wordpress.com. Any injury prevention/safety type topics you'd like to see covered there? Please let us know. We love suggestions and feedback.

We look forward to helping you to "Prevent Tomorrow's Injuries Today," right now!

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