The suffering economy has led to an abundance of job cuts and, as a result, overworked employees who are trying to make up for the lack of staff. The negative effects do not end there, as workers who are stressed and forced to remain in the office for extended hours are more likely to suffer fatigue and illness.

Company leaders in safety management may want to devote extra attention to a staff member's well-being when facing job cuts, because hiring more individuals even temporarily is not an option.

Implementing a safety initiative that requires each employee to evaluate his particular job function, the risk for injuries or illnesses and his own capabilities will help a management team assess which jobs lead to greater injury risk and what types of treatment may be necessary if an injury ensues.

By implementing a health risk assessment for every worker, safety leaders can prevent future illnesses or injuries and optimize the productivity of the current staff. This approach can improve the health of employees, the production quality and quantity of a company and, ultimately, the bottom line by saving costs on workers' compensation claims and lost productivity in the workplace.