For more than six months, it has been difficult to focus on any issue other than the pandemic; it has pulled focus from other projects and depleted budgets. Be careful that it does not distract from the broader issue of worker safety for your organization. It is critical that your departments ensure workers know and follow your COVID-19 protocols to keep everyone safe. It is equally important not to forget the long-term and ever-present hazards our employees deal with.

Budgets are tight – but safety must be a priority

The pandemic has caused most public entities budget impacts due to lost revenue. This 1-2 punch of unexpected work and budgetary tightening could lead to us to divert attention and funding workplace safety. We encourage you not to decrease or reallocate workplace safety funding. Such a trade often shifts to long-term costs in increased insurance premiums, decreased worker productivity, and lower morale. PPE provision is not usually a target of cuts (nor should it ever be), but often safety projects and improvements (e.g. moving from PPE to engineering controls) are.

As budget conversations occur, we encourage leaders to consider the long-term cost of safety program budget decisions. If you would like assistance to show and justify continued budget and expenditures for your safety programs, contact our staff. We’re here to help.