Let’s say you open a small business in Tampa, with a dozen employees. What’s the first thing you need to be concerned about? A return on your investment? How about the safety of your people.
That’s the premise behind the SafetyFlorida Consultation Program at USF’s College of Public Health (COPH), which promotes ongoing safety and health efforts in the Sunshine State and the importance of maintaining high standards. The program is especially busy after two Florida hurricanes, but the sheer number and growth of businesses demands a laser focus on safe work environments, said Dr. Brian L. Warrick, SafetyFlorida’s program director.
“The most important asset in any company are the employees,’’ he said. “Keeping them safe and secure should be the No. 1 priority for any company because an injured employee, (and/or replacing them) is expensive by way of medical cost, workers compensation, re-training, loss of productivity and possible reputational harm.’’
Warrick mentions the axiom that the first line of business is not profits but the avoidance of loss. A strong worker safety program, then, can limit losses from medical costs, reduced productivity and even penalties from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
“So it makes sense to ensure that the revenue you are obtaining is not being diminished by these avoidable losses,’’ he said.
On average, an employee dies every 100 minutes from a work-related injury in the United States, according to OSHA. Florida ranks third in the nation with 306 fatalities in 2024 and over 330 severe work-related injuries, which are defined as an amputation, in-patient hospitalization, or loss of an eye. Risks can be from physical, mechanical, biological or chemical hazards in the workplace.
“We believe every one of these fatalities and severe injuries are preventable and view them as a sign of a failure or lack of, an effective safety and health management system,’’ Warrick added. “While a company could rely on its own internal expertise, we can further improve the system with a fresh set of eyes in highlighting opportunities of the safety program.’’
Warrick advising a worker after the Florida hurricanes. (Photo courtesy of Warrick)
Among the most common safety issues identified in small businesses in Florida are improper machine guarding and exposure to dangerous chemicals. For the latter, “information about the identities and hazards of the chemicals must be available and understandable to workers,’’ Warrick said.
Established in 2000, SafetyFlorida provides occupational safety and health educational outreach and services to businesses that t need help in raising the bar. While most employers want to provide their staff with a safe work environment, the solutions, techniques and government regulations can be daunting.
So, the program—funded 90% through the federal government (OSHA) and 10% by the state—provides professional consultation at no cost to business owners. The USF staff of nearly a dozen people conducts about 500 consultation visits each year, identifies some 1,500 serious hazards, removes more than 70,000 workers from risk and helps businesses avoid OSHA enforcement penalties and fines—which amount to $25.5 million each year. OSHA estimates that by using its hazards abated methodology, the total economic value of the program is $34 million annually.
The program’s services include:
- On-site safety and health hazard assessments, including hazard recognition and prevention
- Written program evaluations
- Noise monitoring and air sampling
- Comprehensive safety and health management system evaluations
- Formal and informal training to include technical updates on OSHA standards and trend analysis
SafetyFlorida views issues involving injury (known as safety) and illness (known as health) as equally important. While the first might be a slip or fall, the other can lead to long-term impairment.
“There’s an old saying that goes while safety is concerned with ensuring you make it through the day,’’ Warrick said, “health is concerned that you make it through retirement.”