Safety programs worth cost: study

Bilbao, Spain – Small and medium-sized employers may see a return on investment in safety in as few as five years, according to a recent study from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

Researchers analyzed 13 case studies of small and medium-sized businesses in Europe to determine whether safety interventions were worth the cost. They found that 11 of the cases showed a positive return on investment within five years.

In one case, a waste management company in Germany reduced its slip, trip and fall incidents by 20 percent after an intervention program was created that included increased training, new boots and other initiatives. The intervention paid off financially within 1.3 years, according to researchers.