The workforce is changing; veteran workers are reaching retirement or being moved to higher positions making room for the next generation of workers to step in. Youth workers make up a huge portion of the U.S. workforce, about 20 million workers in 2015 were from ages 16 to 24.
This is good news for employers. Younger workers are more energetic and bring new perspectives on how things can be accomplished. They are less likely to already have outdated habits and are typically more current when it comes to the latest technology. However, inexperience is also a curse. Taking a look at safety, about 21% of young workers experience at least one lost time injury in the workplace. That may just come with the territory of being young and learning, but the problem is that about a quarter of those incidents are not being reported to the employer, or a doctor. In a case study on 21,345 young Canadian workers, 1,211 were injured at work and never told anyone. It was found that two of the largest reasons for lack of reporting, were that the employee either feared negative reactions from others or were unsure if the incident was even reportable. Both reasons are easily avoidable.
Making reporting simple and available for anyone from their phone allows workers to report with a sense of privacy. It also allows employees to report any incident that occurs and let the supervisor determine whether the incident was work-related or not. In another study done, the younger generation of Americans ranked knowing how to use their smartphone higher than brushing their teeth in the morning. To them, having a mobile app reporting system is intuitive and safe. As the workforce begins to change, so should safety.
For more information on how software can improve your safety program and how much you can save annually, go to the Sospes Home page at: www.sospes.com
Study can be found here:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437514000449
