Employers – Tips to Improve Workplace Safety!
A topic that should be of prime concern to all employers is workplace safety and how to prevent workplace accidents.
Every year, 4.5M employees are injured on the job1 and more than 5,000 of those injuries are fatal.2
These accidents cost companies billions of dollars every year in compensation and leave many of those injured seeking the assistance of workplace accident lawyers.
At such a high cost to everyone involved, injury attorneys stress the need for business owners to take an active role in reducing workplace injuries and making their companies safer for their employees by following these tips?
1. Create A Culture of Workplace Safety
Encourage employees to be safe all the time and make safety their mantra.
When everyone views safety and preventing workplace accidents with the same importance, it’s easier to keep everyone on board.
2. Provide Enough Training
Workplace accident lawyers who deal with occupational injuries find that lack of training is one of the main reasons why employees get hurt on the job.
Employers must invest in sufficient training to ensure their employees can perform their jobs safely.
3. Demand Adherence to Safety Rules
Once there is a safety protocol to use and safety rules in effect, demand that employees adhere to them.
The better the safety culture is in the workplace, the easier that will be.
4. Provide Clear Instructions, Labels, and Signs
In addition to training, it’s also important that employees have clear instructions about what they must do in their job and how it must be done.
Injury attorneys stress the importance of using the appropriate labels and signs throughout the workplace to warn employees of potential hazards; failing to do so could result in an injury and leave the employer liable.
5. Keep the Workplace Clean
A safe workplace is a clean one that is free from dirt, debris, and anything that does not belong in the area.
Eliminate potential hazards and keep the place clean and up to industry and safety standards.
6. Maintain All Equipment
Poorly maintained equipment or expecting employees to use the wrong equipment is another significant source of workplace accidents.
Create a safe environment and avoid needing injury attorneys by having the right equipment for the job and always keeping it maintained and inspected as required.
7. Provide Safety Gear
If a job requires some type of safety gear to prevent injury or illness, employers should provide that gear.
When employees have access to it and it is the company’s rules to use it, there is no excuse for them not to.
8. Give Employees A Voice in Safety Planning
Include employees in safety planning as they can provide a firsthand voice on what is and isn’t working.
When employees are active in creating their own safety culture, they are more likely to adhere to it.
9. Reward Safe Behavior
Create incentive programs that promote workplace safety and encourage all employees to adhere to safety laws.
Keeping employees engaged and adhering to safety protocols is easier when there is a benefit to them doing so.
10. Review Safety Rules and Procedures Regularly
Hold periodic safety meetings to keep procedures fresh in the minds of all employees and allow discussion on maintaining a safe workplace.
In addition, review all rules and procedures at least yearly and make modifications as needed according to new hazards or conditions that may exist in the workplace since the rules were last modified.
Prevention Starts In the Workplace
The last thing any employer wants to have happen is have an employee injured on the job; however, preventing workplace accidents requires more than simply handing out a safety manual.
Accident lawyers encourage employers to take an active part in creating a culture of safety and making it a priority to prevent unsafe conditions and the accidents that happen as a result!
Hildebrand & Wilson, Attorneys at Law
7930 Broadway, Suite 122
Pearland TX 77581
references:
1National Safety Council, Work Safety, Tools and Resources: Workplace Injuries, 2018
2United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA Data & Statistics, Commonly Used Statistics, 2018
