Workplace Safety Recognition and Safety Award Ideas Your Teams Will Love

As part of your company’s commitment to safety in the workplace, it’s crucial to acknowledge employees who demonstrate safe behaviors on the job. A great safety recognition program rewards and incentivizes those who demonstrate safe practices, and when implemented, it will benefit not only your employees, but also your business and your customers.

What Do Employee Safety Awards Look Like?

Safety awards for companies vary depending on specific business types and the parameters surrounding safety protocols, but no matter what kind of business you have, there are a variety of ways to reward your teams for a job well done. When you reward employees who consistently go above and beyond to follow workplace safety protocols, you’re setting an example for the entire company and reminding everyone about the importance of keeping everyone safe as they do their jobs.

By incentivizing employees and rewarding them for consistently demonstrating safe workplace behaviors, you’ll increase employee engagement, and you’ll notice even more people catching on and wanting to participate. Here are some great ways to reward employees for being safety superstars:

Recognize them with a thank you. Often, a simple “thank you” is enough to make someone’s day, especially when you add a few earnest words of appreciation for a job well done. At Hallmark Business Connections, you’ll find a wide variety of employee appreciation cards and thank you cards that will help you share your words of gratitude. You can even send a safety greeting card that includes a safety message to reinforce their actions or accomplishment. And for those standout moments that require a one-of-a-kind greeting, use our Mail to One service to craft a personalized card for a single recipient. Your words will be printed in a handwriting font, and then we’ll stamp and mail your card for you.

Give a time off bonus. Whether it’s a full day or a Friday afternoon, a little time away from the office is always a welcome break. Reward employees who have gone above and beyond to reach safety goals by giving them a little time for some R&R. They’ll come back to the office rested and refreshed … and they’ll be eyes-wide-open for safety issues that may arise in the future.

Send out a Tip of the Day. Whether you decide to do this during a safety week, a safety month or all year long, sharing safety tips is a great way to remind employees of essential safety guidelines that keep your business running smoothly. You can make your messages to employees more eye-catching and memorable by pairing safety tips with funny puns or recognizable quotes to reinforce concepts you are promoting. For example, if you are sending a general safety message, you might say something like “Safety first, because accidents last” or something a little more serious like “Safety isn’t an accident.” Then, pair this with a safety tip that is pertinent to your everyday business function. By doing this, you are sending a high-value message and making it easy for employees to remember.

Organize a Safety Day. You can go all-out for this one, or you can keep it fairly low-key, the choice is up to you! If you’ve got the time and space, it’s fun to set up stations with a variety of safety-related items and activities that will engage and educate your employees. Some fun ideas include safety drill relay races, safety trivia games, safety scavenger hunts and safety charades. You can even have small giveaways of safety items like flashlights, key chains or earplugs. Consider crowning a “Grand Safety Champion” and award them a box of luxury chocolates by Christopher Elbow or a fragrant bouquet of fresh cut flowers that will brighten their workspace for days. Safety Day is all about fun, so get creative and add your own spin to things to make it memorable for your teams!

Celebrate industry-specific safety days. Safety days are a great time to reach out to your employees, gather everyone together for a quick seminar or uplifting presentation or find fun ways to refresh safety guidelines. Depending on your business, take advantage of days like National Computer Security Day, National Forklift Safety Day, World Day for Safety and Health at Work, World Food Safety Day and more. Familiarize yourself with safety days and months that pertain to your business and get involved. You’ll reap the benefits when your employees get important safety refreshers that ensure seamless and uninterrupted processes for your business.

Sustaining safety practices is not only smart for your business; it’s essential. But you don’t have to take on that daunting task alone. When you get your employees involved and excited about safety, everyone will pitch in, and you’ll see fewer accidents and mishaps on the job. By rewarding employees for following safety guidelines and practicing safe working practices, you’re protecting your business, your customers and your teams … and you might even have a little fun along the way!

Want great ideas for what to write in an Employee Appreciation card? Our Hallmark writers have been hard at work, and they’ve come up with some creative ways to share your gratitude. Read this article for fantastic ideas of what to write in your workplace safety greeting cards.