By Connie Fabre
President & CEO, Greater Baton Rough Industry Alliance (GBRIA)
Giving awards to people for achieving safety milestones is a practice that has been in existence for many years and it can improve morale and boost team spirit in the workplace. I remember working as a process engineer in the early days of my career and one of the highlights of our work team was an annual safety reward dinner. It was a chance to get dressed up and to see people in a different way than in their usual work coveralls. The favorite saying people said to each other was “Hey, you look great. You really clean up well!” To see your workplace teammates dressed up and with a spouse or significant other, provides a more personal perspective of who they are and that can translate back to the job. When we have more empathy for each other, looking out for each other on the job becomes easier.