The priceless cost of implementing safety tech — occupational health and safety

The priceless cost of implementing security tech

Investing in the right technology can lead to a more productive and safer workplace.

• By Sean Peterson
• October 03, 2022

With warehouse injuries increasing every year, standard safety and health measures such as PPE, training programs, and daily stretching are not enough to keep workers safe. Prioritizing the safety and health of your employees means focusing on where and when injuries occur and fixing the issue at the source. With musculoskeletal injuries accounting for the largest share of workplace injuries, it is imperative that companies treat their industrial athletes as human beings and protect them from injury and even death.

There are hundreds of ways warehouse workers can be injured on the job, from poor ergonomic practices and slips to heat hazards and inadequate training. Unfortunately, typical corporate safety programs do not address all of these problems that warehouse workers face on a daily basis. It’s time for companies to start implementing increased security measures and correcting risky employee behavior and activities to ensure employee safety and prevent dangerous mistakes from happening.

When companies invest in the right technology, the return is a more productive and happy workforce, as well as money saved on health care and workers’ compensation costs. With the economy (rightly) resting on the backs of industrial athletes, it’s time to put safety first and start a downward trend in workplace injuries and deaths — which have increased in recent years.

High cost of worker injuries

In the year In 2020, the total cost of workplace injuries reached $163.9 billion in the US, and 2.7B non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported.

The four most common workplace injuries are overexertion, slips, trips and falls, repetitive strain injuries, and collisions with stationary objects or equipment. Many of these accidents cause ergonomic injuries, which affect the movement of the body or the musculoskeletal system, which often causes stress, cracks and pulls. These injuries can occur gradually or suddenly, and often result in workers being sent home early or out of a job. Musculoskeletal injuries are responsible for 30 percent of workers’ compensation costs, making them a major pain point for companies.

This article originally appeared in the October 1, 2022 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.