Active employee participation is critical to the success of a safety program. Enhancing employee participation in safety at all levels of an organization is considered a best practice by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In fact, OSHA reports that high worker participation in safety helps to improve morale, lower absenteeism, and increase productivity while at the same time reducing injury risks. Further, this effort can increase employee acceptance of future changes in workplace safety and health policies. From this, we can clearly see the importance of actively involving all levels of your agency in ongoing safety efforts, including training, program development, job hazard analysis, compliance requirements, and safety committee participation.

California JPIA members can strive toward high worker participation in their safety program by implementing the communication strategies outlined in their Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). The following table illustrates important aspects of your agency’s IIPP, and connects them to the activity designed to achieve high employee participation:

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