According to OSHA, 5250 workers died on the job in 2018. According to the National Safety Council, in the United States, a worker is injured on the job every seven seconds. This equates to:
- 540 work injuries per hour
- 12,900 work injuries per day
- 90,400 work injuries per week
- 7 million work injuries per year
So what are you doing to avoid having one of your workers becoming one of these statistics? Outsourcing key functions is a familiar concept in many business scenarios. Outsourcing allows companies to focus on their core competencies, leaving specialized functions to those with specific expertise. We see it on college campuses, which concentrate on education while leaving food preparation to national chains. Car dealerships sell cars but often hire outsourced detailing services to wash and prep customers’ vehicles. Building managers hire janitorial contractors and security firms rather than custodians and security guards…the list goes on and on.
While some outsourcing decisions are easy to make, others, particularly those that involve highly complex areas requiring a significant degree of expertise, may call for more deliberation. Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) is such a function. A safety officer is a highly skilled and compensated employee. Considerable education, training and experience are necessary in order to develop Job Hazard Analyses, Written plans, enforce safety policies, conduct audits and inspections, investigate accidents, ensure compliance, and train employees.
Business owners and managers are proficient in their particular fields. Very few have experience navigating the complexities of workplace safety and environmental compliance. Even the process of interviewing, selecting and hiring a safety officer may be beyond their comfort zones. Outsourcing to a company specializing in EHS is a compelling option when allocating business resources. Hiring an employee involves taxes, unemployment insurance, disability, forms, personnel files, and benefits. With an in-house safety officer, the liability for fines and penalties due to noncompliance will always lie wholly with the employer.
A private contractor specializing in EHS can be a welcome solution. An experienced and knowledgeable specialist who is trained to implement programs concerning hazardous materials, machine guarding, protective equipment, fall protection, fire safety, signage, proper removal of hazardous waste, and overall workplace safety issues alleviates the burden of managing these vitally important functions. At the same time, the business owner can focus on the company’s core competencies – delivering the products or services that the company’s reputation is built upon, rather than being distracted by the specialized training, licensing and certification requirements of a staff safety officer.
Lastly, an outsourced safety officer saves money. The business gets a six-figure professional for a fraction of the cost of a full-time Safety professional and that’s a win for every business owner! Interested in discussing how Summit Safety & Efficiency Solutions can provide this needed protection at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full time Environmental, Health & Safety expert?
Call us today at 631-642-7239 or email Ron.Loveland@SummitSafetyPro.com