With a reported 2.7 million workplace injuries and accidents reported in 2020, ensuring that you're taking the necessary precautions to create a safe environment for your employees is essential.
Not only are injuries devastating
for the employee, but they can be the downfall of your company. Staying on top
of safety procedures can help keep you safe in case of a lawsuit or
investigation.
However, if you're unsure where to
start when rethinking workplace safety, it may feel overwhelming. Luckily,
you can continue reading to learn the best tips to help you improve your
workplace.
Rethink
How You Approach the Topic
Whether you're a small business
owner or run a Fortune 500 company, safety should be an integral part of your
workplace. Many make the mistake of saying they prioritize safety. Though it
may sound like the same thing, ensuring safety is a standard practice can help
your employees approach the subject in a new light.
Many companies make it seem like
safety is something to be rewarded for. However, framing unsafe practices as
something that will not be tolerated can emphasize the severity of the
issue.
Similarly, incorporating safety
procedures into all aspects of business doesn't make it seem like a priority
but standard practice. Creating a culture where safety is expected and set in
stone can help prevent major injuries.
Inform
Employees
Once you have determined your new
safety standards, you'll need to inform your employees. This is essential to
ensuring that everyone in the company is on the same page.
It's unfair to employees to change
the standards without informing them of the changes or reprimanding them for
not following the new rules.
Holding a company meeting to cover
the new changes helps ensure everyone knows the new standards. It also offers
the opportunity for questions, concerns, and comments from employees.
You may also consider appointing one
employee to oversee and enforce proper safety standards. This gives your
employees a central figure to approach with questions or concerns without
asking multiple people who may not know the answer.
Any time there are changes made,
employees should be informed as soon as possible, ideally before the changes
are mandated. This gives workers ample time to prepare and adjust their habits.
Ensure
Cleanliness
One of the most crucial ways to keep
your workplace safe is to keep it clean. Whether you run an office building,
warehouse, or manufacturing plant, cleanliness is vital to safety.
Cleaning includes regularly
dusting, sanitizing, and removing trash from your workplace. Failure to clean
can result in health complications for your workers.
You should also install air
purifiers. These remove toxins and allergens from the air, ensuring your
employees breathe easily.
Similarly, you can look into a more
advanced Climeworks DAC
unit, which helps remove CO2s from your workplace. This helps combat climate
change, making two positive impacts.
Similarly, regularly inspecting for
damp areas can help prevent mold growth. Inhaling this fungus can have serious
health complications, so ensuring you take care of moisture will save you time
and money.
On manual labor jobs, you'll need to
ensure that your area is clean to prevent slips, trips, and other injuries
caused by a lack of cleanliness. Employees should clean up after themselves to
help keep each other safe.
Provide
Proper Training
You'll also need to ensure that
you're employees receive the proper training. Though this seems like a given,
you'd be surprised to learn how many companies cut corners when training to get
new employees working.
New hires should be brought up to
speed about all workplace safety protocols. Veteran workers should also
complete any mandated training if they haven't already.
Though it may seem counterintuitive
to waste time training employees. However, providing thorough courses and
classes will ensure that you keep your workers safe. This also prevents
employees from getting hurt and having to take time off.
You may also want to centralize all
safety protocols so employees can reference them at a later date. You can
create outlines of the most significant takeaways from each course and training
session. Giving them to workers can keep them fresh when it comes to
procedures.
Ensure
the Right Equipment
You'll also need to ensure that your
employees have the necessary and correct equipment necessary to complete jobs
safely.
To save money, some companies will
buy equipment that isn't exactly what the employees need to complete their job.
This makes it difficult for workers to get the job done and thus decreases
workplace morale. Also, using incorrect equipment can lead to injuries.
Ensuring your employees have the
right tools to work is crucial. You'll also need to keep up with maintenance
and repairs on any machinery, as failure to do so can lead to severe injuries.
Regularly inspecting equipment can
help identify any issues with machinery. Even if it doesn't seem to impact the
performance, fixing the problem can help prevent accidents.
Mandated
Breaks
One of the best ways to boost workplace
morale is to ensure that your employees take the correct number of
breaks.
Not only is it illegal to prevent
workers from taking breaks, but it can impact their quality of work. Employees
barred from taking breaks may find they're too tired to perform at their best.
This is negative for business for
two reasons. The quality of the job done by an overworked individual is much
lower than those given proper time to rest. Also, a worker who isn't given the
right time to take a break is much more likely to miss steps due to fatigue,
leading to injuries and accidents.
Similarly, if you don't give
employees a chance to rest, they may grow resentful. This leads to a failure to
adhere to workplace standards, and the quality of work will suffer.
Use
Clear Labels
No matter what your business is,
ensuring that areas of your workplace are labeled properly labeled is crucial.
Not only will this help prevent accidents and injuries, but it can help clear
you of any wrongdoing in the event an employee mishandles or improperly uses
equipment or products.
This includes using clear signage to
indicate what objects are located where, how to handle them, and any danger
that can come from using the item.
Labels are a cheap and easy
way to ensure that you can keep your workers safe. In many instances, you'll
find that a simple image, such as a lightning bolt to symbolize electricity or
a prohibition symbol can keep employees away from specific areas.
Take
Care of Issues Promptly
If a problem is brought to your
attention, avoid pushing it to the back burner to be dealt with later. Letting
unsafe practices continue makes it seem like safety is something that can be
ignored or disregarded.
Handling any safety issues, whether
it be an employee disregarding protocol or broken equipment, shows that safety
is never something that can be pushed off.
Reprimanding employees who break
safety standards is crucial, as it sets an example. You may also want to implement
a "no strikes" system when someone blatantly disregards protocol.
Though it seems harsh, this can set the culture that those who engage in
dangerous activity will not be tolerated.
Encourage
Communication
Finally, you'll want to create a
workplace where employees feel comfortable approaching you with any issues or
concerns they may have.
Business ownership can be tricky to
navigate as you set the standards and rules. However, building an environment
where employees feel safe and listened to when they see them is essential.
This show that you're a good owner
and guarantees that your employees will speak up to help prevent
instances.
Similarly, management should not
punish employees who voice safety concerns. When it comes to avoiding workplace
accidents, everyone should be encouraged to speak up if they see something
unsafe.
Employees should also feel safe to
report any issues, no matter how small they may seem. Even minor cuts, bruises,
and scrapes should be documented. Though it may seem silly, this emphasizes how
essential reporting is.
How
To Ensure Workplace Safety
A safe workplace is a happy
workplace. You'll experience less turnover because workers feel valued, knowing
their safety is a major concern of the company.
Remember, smart management, business
growth, and workplace safety all go hand in hand. Proper procedure should never
be sacrificed!
If you're ready to change how your
business approaches safety, you'll want to check out the rest of our website.
You can discover additional business topics to help your company succeed.
