Optimizing safety procurement: 5 essential strategies

Procurement is a complex discipline that goes beyond selecting the right products for the right applications. Buyers also have to balance budgets, value, product quality, and delivery times when vetting suppliers, reviewing their options, and placing orders.

Safety buyers face additional challenges, knowing that the equipment and supplies they procure can directly impact the well-being of individuals who rely on these products every day. This pressure adds a new layer of complexity to the procurement process.

The 5 best practices to implement now

Fortunately, buyers can implement proven strategies to optimize their safety procurement selections, benefiting both the organization and employees. Here are five key strategies to consider:

Foster a culture of safety across the organization.

Buying one-off products to address individual safety or security hazards is ineffective; organizations need a comprehensive safety procurement strategy that spans across their entire operation. A strong culture of safety — built on consistent prioritization of employee well-being — helps minimize accidents, protect lives, and ensure regulatory compliance. This commitment attracts and retains top talent, quality customers, and strategic investors while delivering tangible business benefits, including reduced downtime, increased productivity, and fewer regulatory penalties.

Develop and follow safety procurement and supplier selection procedures.

This is an important step that all procurement departments should be taking — not just those focused on procuring safety equipment and supplies. With standardized procurement policies and compliance procedures to follow, buyers can readily verify the quality and quantity of safety supplies received, address discrepancies (e.g., incorrect or damaged shipments), and mitigate the problems before they become serious issues. Procurement teams should also stay up-to-date on changes in safety standards and regulations at the regional, national, and international levels. Some of the key standards include OSHA Law and Regulations, the OSHA Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Payment Standard, and the ISO 45001 internationally recognized framework for managing occupational health and safety risks.

Help your workers rest easy knowing that their safety is your top priority.

Develop comprehensive safety protocols that not only meet regulatory standards but also address the practical realities of the workplace. The ultimate goal should be to create a robust safety culture where employees are well-equipped, properly trained, and motivated to follow safety procedures. This approach helps ensure that every worker can perform their duties efficiently and return home safely at the end of each workday. “When workers feel safe and have the right protective gear, they can focus on their tasks without worrying about potential dangers,” says Brent Heller, head of U.S. manufacturing and industrials at Amazon Business. “This can lead to improved productivity, morale, and operational efficiency.”

Partner with a reliable procurement partner you can trust.

Effective worker safety requires customized PPE and safety products, as well as a strategic partner that can deliver high-volume, custom orders across multiple sites on tight timelines. For example, when Amazon’s global health and safety procurement team needed 35,000 climbing-style hard hats to counter a rise in the head injury rate, it turned to Amazon Business for help. It used Amazon Business’ network of pre-vetted bulk suppliers and strategic sales team to define and determine their desired specifications. Then, it submitted a Request for Quote (RFQ) feature for high-volume purchases, found a seller that met its unique requirements, and received a quote back within 48 hours.1

Leverage technology to enhance safety and efficiency.

Prioritize suppliers with their own robust safety records and integrate safety considerations into all phases of the procurement process — from supplier selection and contract negotiation to risk mitigation and supplier performance monitoring. Adopt procurement software, analytical tools, and connected worker technologies to streamline processes and gain real-time visibility. Explore and pilot user-friendly procurement software and implement a basic digital inventory management system. Amazon Business offers compliance tools, Guided Buying, Business Giving, Amazon Business Restock, and Amazon Business Analytics, all of which come together to ensure that the right products arrive on time and ready to use. This suite of tools helps procurement departments to streamline their processes, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency.

Fostering a productive, resilient operational environment

These best practices can help safety buyers cultivate a workplace culture that prioritizes the health and well-being of their employees — the value of which can’t be understated in the modern business environment. Amazon Business helps organizations simplify their buying processes and centralize purchasing data for greater visibility.

“Data is the key to a safer tomorrow,” says Heller. “In the realm of safety purchasing, the data insight Amazon Business can provide should guide decisions, illuminate the path to protection, and empower everyone to safeguard what matters most — our employees.”²

By implementing these best practices, procurement professionals can make well-informed decisions that prioritize workforce safety alongside cost efficiency, ultimately protecting the individuals vital to the organization’s success.

_{1,2 Safety+Health Magazine, The Best Kept Secret in Custom Safety Supplies, May 26, 2024.}