According to the National Safety Council, a worker is injured every 7 seconds. The most common workplace injuries so far are sprains, tears, cuts, strains, lacerations, punctures, sores and pains.
This encourages employers to take stern precautions to prevent work-related injuries and avoid lost production hours and the costs associated with treating injuries. Some of the precautions that must be taken include:
Provide your employees with proper protection equipment
Personal protection equipment should be mandatory, especially in workplaces where staff need to be on heights. Maxisafe suggests that you provide and encourage your employees to wear PPE at all times.
Some of the most essential PPEs include helmets, safety boots, hard hats, hand protection products, safety spectacles and high visibility clothing. All these provide protection to the eyes, head, feet, hands, ears and legs. Hold safety training continuously to emphasize the importance of safety at work.
Establish safety vulnerabilities
All workplaces are unique and some safety rules may or may not apply. However, paying extra attention to common accidents that happen around the workplace can help you develop better safety measures.
For instance, if your staff experiences regular stair falls, then it makes sense to put better measures such as steel stair treads to minimise the falls. If the floor is slippery, then consider non-slip flooring mats.
Keep the workspace clean
A dirty workspace is a hazard in itself. It is difficult to work and move around in this type of place. There is a high chance of tripping on cluttered cables, cords or other small objects. Encourage your employees to keep their workspaces clean and safe at all times to reduce the risks of accidents.
Always post proper signage
They say prevention is better than cure and this applies to workplaces. Warn your staff by posting proper signage, such as ‘Caution: Wet Floor’. This will go a long way in preventing slips. In addition, post signage to remind your employees of the safety procedures to be taken in respective areas.
Perform regular vehicle checks and maintenance
If you provide your employees with staff transport, it is important that you service the vehicles regularly and ensure that they are well maintained. It is costly to land in a lawsuit should your vehicle be involved in a car accident because of improper maintenance.
Maintain adequate staffing levels
Employers would rather pay the existing staff for overtime hours rather than just employ more workers. What they do not know is that an overworked employee is a walking hazard. If you cannot employ new staff, consider having part-time workers when there is a bigger workload.
Avoid shortcuts
Most accidents do not happen because employees lack the proper skills and knowledge. It is because they take shortcuts to meet deadlines or because they feel they are too familiar with the job and so they decide to skip steps.
Encourage your employees to follow all the procedures and steps. Beating deadlines is meaningless if people’s lives are put at risk.
Even with all these measures, the foundation to workplace safety is having a safety policy or program in place. Train your employees on the safety policies and monitor safety procedures in your organisation regularly.