Workplace accidents abound in all industries. From construction to nuclear plants, there’s always the risk of being involved in an accident. Even in corporate environments where there’s no use of heavy equipments and machinery, there’s still some risk of accidents.
After all, people could trip on the staircase or loose carpeting, slip on wet floors, or mistakenly hit their heads. This is why all companies and organizations need to take proactive measures to prevent any workplace accidents and keep their employees and staff safe and harm-free. To do this, you should consider the following tips:
Carry Out Proper Safety Training
This is of particular importance in organizations and industries that use heavy equipments. There’s a higher risk of accidents happening in all these industries. However, with the proper safety training and awareness, it is possible to keep the accidents at zero. Carry out routine safety classes and training with safety experts and consultants. Have frequent safety reminders at least once a week and ensure that all workers are actively involved in the entire process.
Provide Adequate PPE for Workers
As an employer, you should provide your employees with the requisite personal protective equipment. We are talking boots, eye goggles, nose masks, hazmat suits, overalls, gloves, ear mufflers and helmets among others.
As long as your workers are on the factory floor or site, they should always have these on. No excuses or exceptions whatsoever. Something as simple as a helmet can be the difference between a worker being in a vegetative state for years and him having a minor headache that can be treated at a local hospital.
Eliminate or Minimize health and Safety Risks
Whatever would expose your workers to danger or make them vulnerable should be gotten rid of immediately. Find out possible health and safety risks like wet floors, cracked steps, gadgets on the factory floor, loose bolts, or malfunctioning machines. If your equipment is faulty, don’t manage them. Get them repaired or replace them outright. If the safety or fire alarm does not work, have that fixed. Do all you can to protect and keep your employees safe.
Hire a Safety Officer
This is a necessity if you work with heavy equipment or even machines of any kind. A safety officer is there to watch out for and spot any possible health and safety hazards. If you do not have one yet, get one now. He/she could be the reason your company does not go up in flames because of a small seemingly innocuous gas leak.
Establish and Enforce Safety Protocols
Some good examples include not listening to music on the factory or warehouse floor, not texting or using the phone near heavy machinery, and limiting the use of distracting gadgets, or wearing your PPE at all times. Make sure that these are enforced and established in the company.
Provide Guidance on the Reporting of Dangerous Conditions
The first people to spot a flaw in machines or on the factory floor is usually an employee. As the manager or supervisor, you may not use the tools that they do. It is not enough for them to mention the problem to their colleagues.
They should also be able to report it and have it moved up the chain quickly. Establish a reporting procedure that will fast track all dangerous conditions so that they can be attended to immediately.
Avoid Employing High Risk Workers
If you were to employ a partially deaf forklift driver, he would potentially be a safety hazard. This is because he may not hear when people are calling out for him to stop, or he may even have issues hearing the emergency alarms.
This is why proper physical testing and health fitness is necessary before you employ anyone. Another thing you might want to consider is the employee’s dependence on medications for certain conditions. We are not saying sack anyone with a medical condition. All we are saying is to not assign them positions or tasks that are sensitive and could have possible safety risks.
About the author: The writer, Oscar King, is a blogger who specializes in health and safety topics and strives to make sure he provides the best information to employers looking to keep their workers safe. If an employer fails however and needs to get their workers to a good doctor, he highly recommends the services of WorkFlow Orlando. You can learn more about Oscar on Google+.
