As an industrial employer, you want to keep your workers healthy. They are your most important company asset. When employees miss time at work due to injury or illness it can create significant costs for the business in productivity, loss of the employee, training new ones, employee morale, and reputation. Costs can be overwhelming for the workers and their families in lost wages, medical bills, and travel.
Human Resources leaders and safety professionals are routinely tasked with implementing safety and wellness programs to reduce injuries and illness. The challenge comes, as with anything new, in getting workers to "buy in" and take advantage of a new program.
You can hold safety meetings and pass out flyers and post reminders and send emails out to workers, and building trust is never easy.
How to Build Trust in Your Safety Program
When industrial clients start a workplace injury prevention program, we begin with a pilot program that includes a small selection of workers within the facility or at one location if they have multiple sites.
Our platform immediately connects your employees with a licensed, certified musculoskeletal expert via video call.
After we've introduced the platform to the leadership team, we set up an introduction call with employees to build a rapport with their injury prevention specialist. We invite them to download the mobile app and show them how to use it so they can connect any time, day or night.
The problem with most safety and wellness initiatives is that they stop there. Employees know about the program but are still hesitant to use it.
That's why we start off with educational program initiatives with built-in goals such as a shoe assessment, a sleep survey, or nutrition plan. You can read about the results of one of our initiatives with support insoles for employees.
When your pilot program participants feel the changes and improvements, they'll help other employees get involved.
"I was apprehensive when I first heard about it, and then I went in there [to the kiosk]. It was so easy to use and I was talking to Katie, and she was so helpful and we've had follow-ups. I was always sore when I left work and she helped me out tremendously. She emailed me some stuff, she gave me exercises to use, and I've had several follow-ups since then, and... it's just a wonderful thing that you guys are doing this for us. I live 30 miles from here. When I'd get out of the car, I could barely get up. I don't have that anymore!"
— Paper plant distribution worker in one of our pilot programs
And as your workforce continues to use the program, you'll see them leading healthier and happier lives and be more productive at work.
An Actual Employee's Story and Progression with the Injury Prevention Program
How do we know? We anonymously tracked the progression of one worker and their use and involvement with our virtual injury prevention platform over the course of a few months.
We like to create campaigns to engage workers and management across the spectrum of services provided so they get comfortable with and confident in the platform to provide value.
Then, we establish a regular cadence to engage with the workforce both on personal issues and service initiatives to solidify the fact that our service is always available for everyone across numerous services.
Employee 1
Scheduled Introductory call:
Conducted via kiosk
9 Days After Launch
Insole Pilot:
Conducted shoe assessment via kiosk
Completed 30-day follow-up survey rating their satisfaction on pain reduction scale
1 Month After Launch
Nutrition Request:
Conducted conversation via messenger
Check-in conversation via kiosk
Ongoing messenger conversation providing nutrition education materials x 1 week
1 Month After Launch
Non-Occupational Evaluation Requested by Employee:
Reached out via kiosk
Supporting materials communicated via chat through the app
Status check-in via messenger
1 Month After Launch
Non-Occupational Evaluation Requested by Employee:
Initiated via messenger by employee.
Employee scheduled video chat with provider same day
2 Months After Launch
Wellness Request:
Conversation via messenger x 1 week
Regarding wellness support questions
As you can see, the worker was engaged and took advantage of the program. When employees can discuss personal issues that matter to them, and see beneficial results, they'll continue to use the wellness program and they'll tell others once they are confident in the knowledge provided and trust has been built.
They'll see the value and appreciate the fact that your company provides it as a benefit. It has even helped clients attract new talent when they see a program like this offered.
Here are some direct quotes from employees in the same pilot program as Employee 1:
"If you feel some type of soreness in your arm, there's never a wrong time to go and speak with her; it is always available." — Paper Plant Distribution Worker
"It's kind of a joy for folks. It's a tool for them that they've never been offered before, whether it's with this company or another one. And so once they started understanding that, it's actually pretty d**n impressive." — Paper Plant Distribution Supervisor
"Every plant should have this. It's just amazing. I can't tell you how great I think this is." — Paper Plant Distribution Worker
"At the end of the day, I've got less call-ins, less sicknesses, less 'Hey, I'm sore because of this or that', it's promoted a much better lifestyle." — Paper Plant Distribution Manager
