How To Prevent A Workplace Injury
Preventing an injury in the workplace is a combination of many practices. You cannot merely create rules for your employees to follow and expect that will be enough to stop workplace accidents. While it may be nearly impossible to rid yourself of workplace accidents altogether, it is possible to reduce them through a variety of efforts from both the employer and employees themselves. Informing yourself of these safety practices will help you understand how to incorporate them into your policies and procedures so they are more accurately suited to your business's unique needs.
Incorporate A Health And Wellness Plan
Often, the employees who injure themselves do so as a result of coming to work when they are already sick. They overexert themselves because they do not want to miss a day of work. However, studies have found employees who are sick are more likely than healthy employees to get into a workplace accident. The best way to avoid these incidents is to encourage employees to stay home when they are feeling unwell and incorporate a health and wellness plan into your employee benefits. Create a culture of wellness and offer a comprehensive benefits plan that will allow workers to feel comfortable taking a day off for the sake of their health and wellness.
Continue reading to learn another strategy for reducing the likelihood of workplace injuries.
Educate Employees On Health And Safety
A workplace safety plan can only do so much if the employees themselves do not know about it. Be sure to take the time necessary to fully educate employees on the health and safety plans you have in place. In addition to helping you comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards, it also allows you to establish your expectations for safety in the workplace. It also gives you an enforceable standard for the processes you have in place as well as the safety procedures and first aid for injured employees. Be able to allow your employees to reference these whenever necessary.
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Don't Take Shortcuts
Plenty of accidents happen at the workplace because employees try to take shortcuts in the work they do. Often, this is because they are unaware of the reasons behind the different steps they must follow to complete a task. When an employee thinks a particular step is unnecessary, this can lead them to take shortcuts that can actually lead to their injury. Make sure to stress the importance of all steps in a task to avoid this. Ensure instructions for all tasks are clear and easily accessible so employees can refer to them when necessary. As an employee, be certain you don't take shortcuts on any jobs, even if you are familiar with the equipment and the duties, because an accident can happen when you least expect it. It's why they are called workplace accidents.
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Enforce Personal Protective Equipment
Dangerous work environments can put employees at risk, especially when employees insist their safety gear is not necessary. Enforcing personal protective equipment is a way to make sure the safety equipment you provide them is being used appropriately. Be certain to monitor their usage of this equipment regularly and make certain they understand the use of this equipment is compulsory at hiring and at any meetings you hold. Also, conduct occasional spontaneous monitoring. Those employees without the proper safety gear should not be allowed to complete their work until they are properly equipped.
Keep going to understand yet another way of preventing workplace injuries from occurring.
Ensure The Workplace Is Clean
It can be a simple thing to overlook when there is so much more that can readily cause an accident, but an unclean workplace can be just as dangerous as a poorly equipped one. Take, for instance, a work floor where a spill has taken place. An employee happens upon it, and no one has taken the time to clean it or even section it off adequately. The employee slips on the wet floor and breaks a bone on the hard floor. All of this could have been avoided had the employer committed themselves to ensure the workplace is clean. Employees can participate in this as well by maintaining a clean workstation and looking out for spills and other messes.