Are you looking for new ways to encourage pedestrian and forklift safety in your warehouse—something beyond the standard safety training and reminders? Andrew Bodenheimer, senior business unit manager for advanced applications at forklift maker Linde Material Handling North America, has some ideas in that regard.
Bodenheimer notes, for example, that random audits and real-time coaching when mistakes are made can help reinforce good behaviors. Recognizing employees for doing the right things is also important, he says, adding that awards, lunches, outings, and bonuses are all popular incentives.
But you can get more creative than that. Some of Bodenheimer’s customers have seen excellent results from offering incentives through safety-focused games. In “safety bingo,” for example, each employee receives a bingo card, and one number is drawn daily until someone wins. (Winners receive cash or a gift card.) But if the facility experiences a safety incident, all cards are cleared and the game starts over. Bodenheimer says the game is fun and motivates all associates, not just forklift operators, to reinforce messages about good safety practices with each other.
