Media Kit
 
Health and Safety as a Return on Investment
 
Industrial hygienists are an excellent return on investment because businesses spend $170 billion a year on costs associated with occupational Illnesses and injuries – expenditures that come straight out of a company’s profits. Workplaces that establish health and safety systems can reduce their injury and illness rate by 20 to 40 percent and see a return of $4 on every $1 invested. (OSHA) 
 
Tangible Benefits 
 
The IH saves money on a business’ bottom line through savings on: 

• insurance premiums
• worker compensation benefits
• liability and litigation expenses
• business interruption costs and increased productivity through:
• design and innovation because of improved worker morale
• decrease of sick days, absenteeism, employee turnover
• diminished equipment downtime 

Intangible Benefits: Industrial Hygienists Improve Stockholder Value 
 
Because markets are increasingly looking at effective health and safety programs as an intangible benefit, the recruitment of an industrial hygienist, and the establishment of an effective health and safety program, is an indicator of superior management capability that in turn drives good financial performance.

• IHs build stakeholders’ trust by communicating an organization’s ability to manage risk; reduce volatility; enhance transparency of corporate functions.
• The investment community is beginning to recognize the intangible qualities of a company that invests in an IH including: leadership; strategy execution; branding; investment in workers and environmental, health and safety practices.
• Stakeholders that are interested in a company’s health and safety practices include: customers; shareholders; employees; suppliers; business partners; local, state and federal regulators and government officials; neighboring communities; religious groups; advocacy groups and other NGOs; academic and research organizations; and the media.

Outcomes Can Be Measured
 
A business can determine if an IH is a good return on investment because the health and safety program that the IH is responsible for can be quantified and measured in terms of how it furthers an organization’s business plan and goals and contributes to its bottom line. One way to measure a health and safety program’s performance and value is to use financial analysis tools. This allows evaluation of health and safety programs in cost/performance terms that are familiar to management, investor relations, stockholders, the media and other critical audiences.
 
What Measurement Provides  
 
Measurement can:

• Provide transparency
• Communicate health and safety as a return on investment to varied audiences
• Keep companies to a high moral ground
• Identify and eliminate hazards, which is fundamental to continuous improvement
• Manage risk, which is critical to the injury and illness prevention process

What Measurement Establishes
 
Measurement establishes health and safety is a good investment because its value can be captured by measuring the benefits, contribution to the bottom line and value added to the business’ goals minus the cost of implementation and maintenance of health and safety programs and the cost of cases that still occur. 
 
Benefits 
 
Direct benefits of health and safety programs may include:

• Reduction in, or avoidance of, legal costs, workers compensation claims, insurance premiums and fines
• More efficient production and less absenteeism
• Less equipment downtime
• Less labor replacement

Value and Contribution
 
Value and contribution of health and safety programs may include:

• Contribution to the companies’ marketability by marketing a company’s culture and commitment to health and safety; helping to attract and retain employees and promoting customer satisfaction and loyalty
• Maximizing profit out of existing investment by improving existing processes; insuring safe employee behavior; choosing initiatives when possible that do not require major investment
• Improved product development as safety and health initiatives increase employee morale which in turn increases creativity and initiative which gets new products to market quicker
• Increased shareholder value

Costs
 
The costs of a health and safety program can include:

• Implementing programs and purchasing equipment
• Recruiting industrial hygienist personnel
• Changing operations and design and engineering
• Purchasing safety equipment and other supplies
• Safety training
• Health and safety incidents that continue to occur necessitating workers compensation; litigation expenses; fines and penalties

Future Measurement
 
Future trends and opportunities will make measurement only more essential. Consider the speed with which these trends are advancing:

• Changes in worker demographics 
• Globalization
• Scientific developments
• Mergers, acquisitions, divestures
• 3rd party manufacturing
• Shift from hard core safety issues to stress reduction, ergonomics