If you run your own business, then you will know how important it is to try and keep your employees safe. If you don’t then they may feel as though you don’t care about their wellbeing and you may even open yourself up to lawsuits too.
Keep Your Workspace Clean
A lot of people don’t think that cleanliness is a deterrent for accidents, but it certainly is. If you have a workspace that is cluttered or unclean, this can make it difficult for your employees to get to where they need to be, and it may also cause new hazards. This can include loose computer cables or even cords that aren’t attached properly. It also helps to look into rubber anti-slip floor mats as they can work wonders for high-traffic areas.
Signage
As an employer, it is your duty to post signs that will help remind your employees to follow the right procedure. For example, if you have a loading dock then you might want to have a sign that shows your employees the proper lifting procedure, or even to remind them about wearing hardhats. Sure, this may seem like common knowledge but at the end of the day, it’s not hard to forget and something as simple as a sign could help to save lives when working in hazardous environments.
Vehicle Maintenance
Forklift trucks or any other types of machinery need to be maintained on a regular basis. For this reason, you have to make sure that you get them serviced on a regular basis and that you also make sure that your team are following the right safety procedures. If you don’t maintain your vehicles then this could cause them to break down more often and you may even find that they cost you way more in the long-run.
Report Accidents
A lot of employees know to report accidents, but you still need to encourage them. Employees should also report hazards or anything that they believe could cause an accident too because if they don’t, you may find that you end up putting both yourself and your team at risk.
Proper Training
Every single staff member on your team needs to undergo the right training. They also need to understand their position and how to use any equipment too. If you hire a new employee, then they may require some extra support and you may also need to assign them to another team member until they learn the ropes. This will limit the chances of an accident happening and it will also stop them from putting themselves and others at risk.
Proper Equipment
As mentioned above, having the right training is very important, and so is having the right equipment. You need to make sure that your team have safety gloves and goggles where possible, and that any hard hats are fitted properly. You also need to make sure that you replace any safety gear that starts to show signs of damage, as this could mean that it isn’t as safe as it could be.
Avoid Shortcuts
A lot of accidents happen because the right safety procedures are not followed. For example, a construction worker may climb somewhere without a harness because they believe that there is only a small job to be done and that it would take far too long for them to gear-up. It’s little things like this that put people’s lives in danger, so you need to make sure that your team understand the protocol and that you don’t put them under too much pressure when it comes to deadlines because if you do then this could cause them to make even more mistakes.
Accidents Happen
Another thing that you need to do is make sure that you treat your employees with respect when accidents do happen. If someone did not follow protocol then you certainly need to deal with this, but make sure that your team are safe first. It also helps to have a drill in place so that everyone knows what to do in the event of an accident. This won’t take you long to do but it can give your team the peace of mind they need to feel completely comfortable in the workplace. It will also help them in the event of your absence, so they know what to do and they also know basic first-aid too. You can help them even more by putting every single one of your employees on a first-aid course courtesy of the company.
