Your employees are your business’s greatest strength. They’re the ones who make the magic happen, right? So, as an employer and business owner, you would be devastated if one of your workers got hurt on the job. It’s your legal responsibility to provide a safe workplace, which is a pretty serious job. Sure, workers’ comp insurance is great, but why not head off an accident before it happens?
Fortunately, we’ve got some tips to help you step up workplace safety at your business. Check out the following ten points.
1. Commit to employee training.
You need to make sure all of your employees are well-trained and understand how to do their jobs safely. New employees need plenty of time to get the hang of things, and even your veterans could use a refresher. Make sure that everyone is clear on proper protocol. You can’t expect your employees to be mind-readers and just know everything (and that would be annoying anyway.) Even training employees on how to properly lift heavy things – and taking the time to tell them what the fire escape plan is – can be really helpful.
2. Be on the lookout for workplace hazards.
Spend some time thinking about your workplace and the risks your employees face. Brainstorm ways that you can reduce the danger in your workplace and manage your risks. Eliminating the risk entirely may be impossible, but you can do what you can to mitigate the risk.
But don’t feel that you have to do this all on your own. Get your employees in on the fun. Ask them what hazards they’ve observed and if they have any suggestions for how to improve workplace safety. Let them know that you’re open to ideas and that you take their concerns seriously.
3. Make a plan.
Okay. So, you’ve identified the risks and come up with some ideas for how to mitigate them. Now it’s time to set those ideas into action. Stay in communication with your workers and let them know about any new protocols or procedures. Spend some extra time on training if need be. Remember, workplace safety is worth it.
4. Continue to keep an eye on the workplace.
It’s also important to keep an eye on the workplace. Is all the equipment and machinery working well and properly? Is the storage area safe? Are there trip hazards that need to be taken care of? Keep tabs on these things.
And another thing:
It’s important that your employees know that you’d rather them use the right tool, take their time, and do the job safely than rush through it with the wrong tool. You don’t want anyone to get hurt because they were going too fast.
5. Make it cool to talk about safety.
Safety is an ongoing project. Be sure to talk about safety at the workplace and let it be a frequent topic of conversation. This encourages your employees to speak up about their safety suggestions and concerns. You’ve got to walk the walk and talk the talk.
6. Create a safety-conscious work culture.
Make safety a top priority for your business by encouraging a workplace culture that acknowledges those workers who put thought and effort into workplace safety. Value caution and care over recklessness.
However, be cautious of safety inventive programs. Sometimes this can discourage people from reporting accidents, injuries, or near-misses.
7. Conduct investigations into any accidents or near-misses.
When an accident strikes, it’s time to turn into a detective and investigate. Inspect the scene. Talk to witnesses. Review camera footage. The goal is to get to the bottom of the cause of the accident so that you can take steps to prevent it from happening again. Don’t delay in launching your investigation – your witnesses will have a clearer memory of what happened and you could stop another accident before it happens. And make sure you have a plan for how to file a worker’s comp claim quickly.
8. Keep records of all safety-related things.
Stay on top of your record-keeping game. Whether it’s a safety training session, first-aid incident, near-miss, accident, investigation, or an inspection, keep thorough written records of the event. It’s impossible to recall every little detail (unless you’re an elephant) so stay organized with your paperwork.
And there you have it – eight ways to improve workplace safety. As an employer, it’s your job to take care of your workers and provide them with a safe and healthy workplace. Your employees are a crucial part of your business’s success, so any measure that increases safety or lowers the chance of an accident is worth it.
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Source:
https://smallbusinessbc.ca/article/seven-steps-improving-health-and-safety/