Every workplace has its own battles. A misconception among some employers, though, is that there’s a battle between safety and profitability in every company. Believe it or not, when times are tight, cutting down training budget is the first option of some employers.

But this belief is nothing more than a misconception. Just take it from America’s Safest Companies. Just recently, Occupational Hazards, a national publication for workplace safety and health professionals, hailed 18 companies as the Safest Companies in 2008.

Safety Awardees

The honorees this year include Blythe Construction Inc., The Boldt Company, D&E Communications Inc., Green Mountain Communications Inc., Herman Miller Inc., Koch Pipeline Company, Marous Brothers Construction Inc., Monroe Litho Inc., The Mundy Companies, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, OMG Electronic Chemicals, Raytheon Company, Roche Diagnostics Corporation, Strick Corporation, Sunbelt Rentals Inc., Textron Inc., The Washington Division of the URS Corporation, and Worthington Industries.

Occupational Hazards Magazine selects honorees every year based on recommendations from industry professionals, recognition by industry associations, participation in reputable programs, state and local awards, and Occupational Hazards’ research. The program is open to all companies of any size or industry. Since 2002, the magazine has honored more than 100 companies as America’s Safest Companies.

Profits with Safety

It’s worth taking note, though, that a number of this year’s honorees are multi-billion dollar companies operating in various countries. This just goes to show that employers don’t have to sacrifice safety to earn higher profits or whenever they have to slash expenses.

Come to think of it, the greater the safety of employees, the less employers are likely to pay for liabilities. With better safety programs, companies can save up to $1,000 or more on insurance premiums every year for each of their employees.

According to Occupational Hazards, to be considered as one of America’s Safest Companies, organizations must demonstrate that their safety process includes the following:

• Comprehensive educational pograms for employees about topics related to safety
• Injury and illness rates lower than the average in their industries
• Support from management
• Involvement of employees
• Innovative solutions to safety challenges
• Good communication with workers about the value of safety

“The 2008 America’s Safest Companies honorees represent not only outstanding achievement domestically but prove one of our most valuable exports is the knowledge and will to conduct safe operations globally,” said Stephen Minter, publisher of Occupational Hazards. “If there were an Olympics held for safety, these companies would all deserve gold medals. “

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