Persona West Marks Injury-Free Milestone

There were about 4.6 million work-related, medically consulted injuries in the U.S. in 2018, which cost companies an estimated $170.8 billion.
Persona, however, is bucking that trend. In fact, Persona West is currently in a stretch of more than 400 days without a workplace injury.
Costs to companies for workplace injuries include wage and productivity losses, higher insurance costs, medical expenses, administrative expenses, motor-vehicle property damage, and employer costs. 

West Operations Manager Jeremy Kincade knows the importance of keeping his workers safe, calling it “Rule No. 1.”
“I always tell them: You came to work with all of your fingers, toes and eyes; make sure you leave with them, too.”
The last injury at Persona West was a mild one, a box cutter mishap that required a single stitch. Without that incident, West would be nearing 1,000 consecutive days without an OSHA (Occupation Safety and Health Administration)-reportable injury.
As of August 7, there had been just five OSHA-reportable injuries at Persona facilities (1 at Watertown Main, 4 at Madison and none at West. 
Persona HR Manager Amber Dahl said keeping employees safe if vital.
“First and foremost, we want our employees to go home in the same condition they came (or better),” she said. “We want our employees to enjoy their free time outside of work as well. Injuries cause a major strain on work, life and balance. Injuries are also costly and cause increased premiums for workers compensation insurance. Our goal is to reduce injuries, eliminate hazards/risks and be able to spend on safety improvements that will prevent future injuries.”
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An injury accident at work impacts the life of an employee, and it can have a lasting impact on the business.  
Decreased Manpower
Whenever an employee is absent because of a work-related accident, it forces the company to operate without them until they fully recover.
For a small business, losing even one employee for any extended period can be a tremendous hurdle to overcome. This can also result in overworking the other employees, leading to an exhausted workforce, overtime costs, and other negative consequences, including the possibility of more injuries.
It may even require hiring a temporary staff member until the injured worker returns.
Reduced Staff Morale
Even if an accident at work is non-fatal, it can reduce the morale of other employees.
When an employee has a serious injury, it can distract other co-workers from focusing on their daily work tasks. It can also keep them from operating at 100 percent.
This can result in a decrease in productivity and in turn, lower revenues and profits for the company.
OSHA Investigations
OSHA is a government agency that sets and enforces standards for safety in the workplace. When there is an injury on the job, it can result in an OSHA investigation. If this takes place, a business will be subjected to increased scrutiny.
A business must also be ready to hand over internal information documenting how the business operates and what precautions it takes to prevent injuries.
Workers’ Comp Costs
Workers’ compensation costs can increase as a result of an injury to an employee.
This is because workers’ compensation is a form of insurance a business has in order to help cover an employee’s benefits and medical bills in the event of an injury. When a worker is hurt on the job, workers’ comp will be used, resulting in higher costs to insure employees.