Safety Incentives: Do They Reduce Injuries?

Safety incentives have been employed for many years as a means of keeping worker injuries under control. There are many ways that incentives can be implemented, and little is known about which are most effective. This paper reports on the results of a study in which information was obtained on incentives. The safest firms are not necessarily those using safety incentives. Firms that use incentives with greater success tend to use incentives of low value, but give the awards on a frequent basis. They also emphasize the recognition that goes with the receipt of incentives, and they tend to award entire crews for safe performance, rather than individual workers.