The U.S. recorded 5,333 fatal occupational injuries, a 2% increase from 5,250 in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When people talk about workplace safety, they tend to focus on organizations representing high-risk industries, such as healthcare, mining, and manufacturing. However, work environments that seem safe have potential hazards that can affect the wellness and safety of employees. With this in mind, creating a safe workspace should be a top priority whether you’re starting a car repair business, grocery, or bakery. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s also a legal obligation. If you’re clueless about keeping workers safe, below are some tips on how to maintain safety and health at the workplace.
Identify And Control Hazards
Identifying workplace hazards is the first step to ensuring employees stay safe and healthy. Therefore, inspect your work environment and evaluate your employees’ roles and responsibilities. Let’s say you’re in the oil and gas mining industry. Find out the type of hazards your workers are exposed to every day. Chances are, your staff is prone to fire hazards, struck by or caught in between heavy equipment, and slip and fall accidents. Once you have performed the IT risk assessment and identified safety risks employees face, implement control measures. For instance, invest in engineering controls like machine guards to prevent workers from getting caught between equipment parts. Also, set strict safety policies and operating processes to make the workplace safer.
If you are not very sure how to go about all of this, you can commit the job into the hands of professionals. For instance, a company like Canal HR can help you manage everything about your employees – from hiring to safety and risk management. So if you can use such a company, it will be a whole lot easier on you.
Provide Personal Protective Equipment
As a business owner, it is your responsibility to ensure workers use the correct personal protective equipment like goggles, respirators, gloves, and earplugs or muffs. Failure to do so can lead to legal implications when employees fall ill or sustain injuries while on duty. According to FVF Law, getting injured at work is not only stressful but also confusing. Naturally, your employees will seek compensation for injuries and loss of income following an accident that occurred due to your negligence. By investing in proper work equipment, you will enhance employee safety and protect your company’s finances and reputation.
Invest in Safety Training
In addition to providing personal protective equipment, train your employees how to handle different hazards. Training employees about workplace safety is a sure way of helping them avoid risky behavior at work. Not to mention, they’ll also know how to report potential hazards and respond to emergencies accordingly.
Maintaining workplace safety is essential, as it increases employee productivity. Since workers don’t have to worry about falling ill or getting injured, they focus more on providing quality work. If you really care about the safety of your employees and productivity in your workplace, you will need to invest in regularly providing your employees with the right safety tips and training they need.
In summary, maintaining safety and health in your workplace to make sure your workers are all safe while dispensing their daily duty, things you should bear in mind include enhancing safety, controlling workplace hazards, offering safety training, providing personal protective equipment, and prioritizing equipment inspection and maintenance.
