An employee may only get a new pair of gloves if he or she has the old pair to exchange. Employees will use the poor availability of PPE as an excuse to stop wearing it. There's also the risk of using PPE that is contaminated or in need of repair. Awards and prizes Recognition programs for a job well done in safety can be dropped. Since the profitability of a good safety record is not easily identified, incentives are an easy target.
Management needs to think about long-term consequences when contemplating safety budget cuts.
Discontinuing a hazard recognition program, safety meetings, or a behavioral process may not immediately cause injuries to increase, but the rate will go up in the long run. Think about it. Putting off maintenance and repair work eventually creates a housekeeping nightmare. Some day the plant will become so cluttered a huge effort will be needed to remove all the small hazards that have accumulated. Discontinuing meetings and training will naturally hurt safety communication and awareness.