Safety Habits That Employees Take Home

Companies spent over $167 billion in workplace injuries and fatalities in 2021 according to the National Safety Council. In that same year, $498 billion was spent on automobile losses and $444 billion on injuries at home.

Organizations invest significant resources in ensuring employees’ safety at work. However, safeguarding their well-being outside of work is often overlooked.

Why should this matter to business leaders? Even off-site accidents can have a direct impact on your company. Injuries may lead to absenteeism and can escalate health insurance expenses. Consider an employee tackling DIY home renovations, a family camping in the woods on a hot weekend, or someone tree trimming with a chainsaw.

The first step to helping employees continue safe habits at home is to look at your company’s safety messaging:

• Does your organization’s message speak to at-home safety?
• Do your safety messages include principle-based approaches to safety or are they task oriented?
• Does your organization address health and wellness?

There are several ways that safety practices at work can translate to promoting safety at home for employees. Through culture, training and education, personal protective equipment, risk assessments, and even leadership, having these key messages benefit both the employees and employer.

Culture of safety

By fostering a strong culture of safety at work, companies can instill safety habits and mindsets that employees carry over into their personal lives. This includes developing a heightened awareness of hazards, consistently following proper procedures and making safety a priority in their lives.

Training and education

Safety training programs provided by employers can cover procedures that are applicable to both work and home environments. Courses can include topics such as fire safety, ergonomics, emergency preparedness and hazard identification.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Employees who become accustomed to using PPE such as hard hats, safety glasses or protective clothing in their workplace are more inclined to utilize them at home. By prioritizing safety through consistent usage, employees will understand the benefits and use similar protective gear for household projects or recreational activities. This transfer of safety practices from work to home environments not only enhances personal protection but also cultivates a culture of safety consciousness.

Risk assessment

Teaching workers to assess and reduce risks at work can help them develop a mindset for identifying and addressing potential hazards. This mentality can extend to their personal lives, enabling them to identify hazards like electrical risks, chemical exposures or when dealing with heavy machinery at home.

Leading by example

When company leaders and supervisors consistently model safe behaviors and prioritize safety, it can influence employees to adopt similar safety-conscious attitudes and practices in their personal lives. The benefits of habitual safety for employees and companies include reduced injuries, improved morale, lower turnover and absenteeism and overall cost savings.

This holistic approach to safety reflects a company’s commitment to its employees’ health, safety and quality of life. Ultimately, by cultivating a culture of safety that employees can take home, businesses foster a more engaged, productive and satisfied workforce while also mitigating costs associated with injuries both in and outside of work.

Discover more

Listen to Aaron explore this topic in Missouri Employers Mutual’s Worksafe podcast, Taking Safety Home: The Value of Caring Beyond the Clock.