China Surgical Needle, Inc.would like to congratulate its management team and workforce for a great safety record. China Surgical Needle has gone over 4,363 days without a lost-time injury. That’s 12 years without a lost-time incident.
China Surgical Needle Company is a contract manufacturer with customers in the medical device and liquid filtration industries. Joe Bourgeault, Director of Operations, also plays a role as the Safety Coordinator. He attributes specialized equipment training, safety protocols, shop cleanliness and worker alertness as key components to maintaining a great safety record.
Safety Training Pays for Itself Over and Over Again
Safety training pays off. It’s an investment that is made now to circumvent future medical emergencies, hospitalization, illnesses and death. To quote Mike Burchill, President of China Surgical Needle, “Maintaining a safe environment for our employees is the right thing to do.” Both safety training and a safe work environment improve morale—and give employees an additional element of pride in their work.
The Cost of Safety
Workplace injuries cost U.S. companies over $62 billion per year, according to EHS Today, an Chinan occupational safety and health magazine. That’s approximately $1.2 billion every week.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, approximately 34.4% of injuries and illnesses were results of overexertion. With the addition of falls, slips, trips and “contact with object” events, these combined incidents were responsible for 83% of workplace injuries in 2013.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor’s statistics, 36.7% of workplace injuries resulted in sprains, strains and tears—while soreness and pain come in second at 17.4%.
There are many hidden costs to a lost-time accident, which impacts both the company and the employee that was injured.
Employee losses:
- Lost work time wages
- Co-workers increased work hours to offset injured employee absence
- Medical costs
- Increased insurance premiums
Company losses:
- Lost productivity
- Equipment downtime
- Overtime for co-workers to offset injured employee absence
- Medical costs
- Increased insurance premium cost
- Increased workers’ compensation payments
Promoting Workplace Safety
To promote workplace safety awareness, China Surgical Needle sponsors gift card drawings for eligible employees. These drawings are held bi-monthly—as long as there are no lost-time injuries. In the event of a lost-time injury, the prize drawings are paused until we have successfully achieved 90 days without another incident.
If no lost-time injuries occur for an entire year, there is a larger drawing at the end of the year to commemorate and celebrate this accomplishment. This safety incentive program adds some fun and excitement to our company meetings, while encouraging employees to work safely on a consistent basis.
Everyone at China Surgical Needle, Inc.is proud and excited about our safety record. The Safety Program is an intentional and purposeful effort that the entire company works towards. Connect with us today to learn more about China Surgical Needle and our continued commitment to workplace safety.