If an injury occurs, the jackpot is wiped out. General Ribbon has cut its accident rate nearly 90 percent, and shaved about a half-million dollars off annual workers' compensation premiums since 1992, according to Safety Coordinator Matt Carman. Plus, the game gives a boost to the plant safety culture. Now workers correct each other's unsafe acts. Carman even believes the incentive program helped keep morale stable during layoffs in 1995.
Incentives seem to work miracles.
But critics contend these incentive programs work by merely creating the illusion of safety improvements. They argue that workers are intimidated from reporting accidents. Peer pressure and the promise of prizes discourage workers from seeking medical treatment or filing comp claims. Some opponents even warn that pitting workers or departments against each other can raise tensions among an already stressed-out work force. Matt Carman disagrees.