MEASURES TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY SIMULTANEOUSLY

The objective of this study was to determine how productivity and safe ty can be integrated. Two hundred and eight people connected with seri ous occupational accidents evaluated the effectiveness of 26 measures with respect to productivity and safety. The subjects felt that improv ing machines and equipment, providing more spacious work sites, and in itiating better housekeeping would best increase both productivity and safety. The subjects stressed that the example set by foremen was esp ecially important for safety. The safety officers and workers' safety representatives were the most optimistic about the effects of the meas ures, whereas the foremen comprised the most critical group. The resul ts showed that it is possible to devise measures which increase both p roductivity and safety. Relevance to industry Different personnel grou ps connected with serious occupational accidents believe that it is po ssible to improve both productivity and safety by improving machines a nd equipment, providing more spacious work sites, and initiating bette r housekeeping. Such measures should receive priority because they are also easy to carry out.