Companies need to make safety their number one priority. Providing a safe environment for workers is not in opposition to productivity. Each company has to make the strategic decision of just how much risk the company can afford and how much liability they will accept. Each company can make the strategic choice to make safety regulations more formal so that the laws and policies to make a safe working environment are strictly adhered to. Managers can choose to be proactive and work toward prevention rather than reactive and addressing issues after the accident occurs. Safety needs to become an inherent parts of each companies strategic plan. They must value their workforce and human capital enough to make the choice to protect that capital the same as they would protect their equipment and buildings from damage.
People will make the effort to work safely when they know it is a company priority. Once again let the people that perform the work find better ways to improve the safety of the job. Employers need to be sensitive to repetitive motion, environment, slips, trips and falls hazards as well as chemical and fire.
