North Carolina employees have faced very tough working conditions in a number of industries. And, an employee that experiences a serious injury at work may be kept off the job for an extended period of time or even potentially permanently. Not only is this expensive for employers, but Charlotte area employees and their families may struggle to make ends meet and recover a sense of normalcy as they heal from workers' compensation-related injuries.

Charlotte employers may be interested to know that increased workplace safety may not only save them money on workers' compensation claims but could also result in a profit.

Recently, Regional Medical Center in South Carolina increased their efforts to educate employees on safe workplace practices and increased workplace safety, and in turn the hospital was rewarded for its safety education practices with a check for almost $300,000. An affiliate of the company, Edisto Regional Health Services Inc., was also recognized for their increased workplace safety and was issued a $5,098 check.

These rewards were given by the Palmetto Hospital Trust, the companies' workers' compensation self-insurance pool.

The pool runs workplace safety programs at these companies to emphasize the importance of preventing slips and falls, injuries caused from lifting heavy objects and injuries caused by sharp objects.

Despite the increased focus on safety measures at these companies, many Charlotte-area employees face safety concerns in the workplace. It is very important for employers to foster safe workplaces as well as safe work practices. While perks such as those received by the South Carolina hospital are certainly nice, employee well-being should be thought of as an incentive in and of itself.

Source: The Times and Democrat, "Workplace safety pays off for RMC," Feb. 7, 2012