We have written a great deal about the culture of fear that many employees subscribe to; even if it means to forego workers compensation benefits, or to return to work without proper rest and rehabilitation. While this culture fosters dangerous workplace conditions, there are a few employers who are working towards changing it.
According to a recent businessinsurance.com article, toymaker Lego is one of the many companies that are now including their workers in the development of their safety and risk management protocols.
There are many positive notions at play. One is that collaboration plays a large role in the success of these strategies. After all, when employees feel as if they have a stake in their success and their safety, plans to surround them have a better chance of being accomplished.
The other is proactive engagement. When Lego changed the focus of its operations from manufacturing and distribution to retail, it also began to engage its employees in creating safety committees and an internal blog where employees could report safety risks and suggest improvements without fear of retaliation.
The strategy has seen success in the years it has been implemented. The company consistently had at least 10 lost time incidents each year. In 2015, this number was cut in half. In 2016, the company has not reported any such incidents. Further, the average amount paid out for the general liability claim fell from $25,000 to $300 at that time. The average workers comp claim fell from $2000 to $1400.
The story is an example of how collaborative efforts can reduce risk.
