Workplace safety is a serious topic that shouldn’t be ignored by any employer. Injuries do happen sooner or later, and they vary in severity from minor to life-threatening. Not only do they cause health problems or even deaths of employees, but they also have a massive impact on the income and productivity of the company. Employees sometimes need weeks or months to recover from injuries, and when they come back, they can’t take on the same workload as before. Injuries can even leave them disabled, making them unable to come back to work at all and leaving them with massive debts and a decline in overall quality of life. To avoid all of that, here are things you can undertake to secure a safe work environment for your employees to help you become a successful entrepreneur.
Encourage cautiousness in your company
Create a list of safety rules and measurements if you haven’t done this yet, and enforce them right from the start. Safety guidelines like these should be included in every company policy. They are important for protecting not only workers but the company as well. Make sure that every employee has had a full safety training and recognises the importance of safety measures. Raise awareness about possible injuries, health hazards, and their long-term consequences. Additionally, make regular safety inspections and reward employees that follow the safety guideline. The workers will feel safer in their work environment this way, and they will also be motivated to keep up the responsible behaviour.
Provide protective equipment
The workers will need some kind of protective gear, especially if they work with electricity, heavy loads, or at great heights. Depending on the nature of the job, you will need to provide helmets, gloves, protective eyewear, headphones, flashlights, etc. There are occupations that require protective boots and suits as well. Every employee should be equipped with gear that fits him and should be trained to wear it and use it properly. There should always be spare equipment so that anything can be replaced in case of malfunction or wearing down. Additionally, provide your employees with walkie-talkies and mobile phones or check out these best apps for communication in the workplace. This way, they can notify their coworkers and managers quickly in case of sudden safety hazards.
Keep the workplace in order
As mentioned above, conducting regular safety inspections is a great way of preventing injuries. They should result in an orderly and clean work environment. First off, there should be no tangled cords, scattered tools or boxes, or dirty floors. They pose a great slipping or tripping danger. Second, the facilities and rooms should be well lit. Guard rails must be installed on staircases and platforms. The signs and labels signifying danger or displaying proper work instructions should be placed where necessary. Third, workers should have clean and sanitised toilets and lunchrooms. When dirty, these facilities can pose a whole other health risk. They can become infested with german cockroaches, which can then spread diseases like Salmonella or E. coli. If you’re dealing with an infestation right now, you can hire professionals from Pest 2 Kill. They offer effective and environment-friendly pest control treatments.
Team up with occupational physicians
Nobody knows more about injury prevention and treatment than occupational physicians. They can play a vital role in improving workplace safety by inspecting and finding dangerous areas and machinery. They will perform clinical tests on job applicants to see if they’re fit for the job before they’re hired. Partnered with physical therapists, they can create an employee injury prevention program that consists of regular exercises, correct movements, and ergonomics. They can instruct workers on how to properly warm-up before work and to make pauses for stretching. All these measures are crucial for preserving the stability of joints, especially in the spine. Once injured, the spine can never fully recover, and surgeries are often not effective, so it’s best to avoid injuries at all costs. If injuries do occur, physicians can provide employees with optimal physical therapy. They will assess their work abilities afterwards and see if they need to be relocated to a new job.
Encourage open communication
As an employer, it is your obligation to provide employees safe working conditions and explain potential risks. The best way to check if employees understand the safety protocols is by organising regular meetings. During meetings, workers should be encouraged to express their concerns and urge them to report any potential hazards. Drive discussions and ask them to offer suggestions on how safety protocols can be upgraded, too. You will show your employees that you don’t just see them as worker bees and that you genuinely care about their safety. This will help you to establish a trustful relationship which is a win-win situation. Creating a safe environment will help employees to be more productive without fear of potential injuries.
Not implementing safety measures in your workplace can be much more expensive than doing so. You could be facing the cost of treatment, the paid leave, and weeks of the injured employee’s undone work. On top of all that, there is the employee left with a permanent disability with an intent to sue you. Having a safe workplace and satisfied employees is the best way to keep your company thriving.