It’s no secret that in the workplace, like in life, accidents happen. Every year, more than 2 million American workers are hurt badly enough on the job that they can’t go back to work and require continuing medical care. While this is an unfortunate reality, it does not mean that they are unavoidable. If the owner or manager does not show an interest in preventing employee injury and illness, then the employees will probably not give it much thought either. Regardless of your position in a company, each employee or manager plays a part in keeping a work-space safe.
Sometimes in a company, there can be a temptation to do something quick, or do it well. Whether a project is experiencing a time-crunch, or it’s simply been a long day and employees want to go home, the option of hastily finishing work becomes more appealing. Often, an answer to this simple question can compromise the aspect of safety in a work-space. Managers can discourage this temptation by keeping company policies and procedures refreshed in their employees’ minds, for this practice sometimes managers and supervisors require management and leadership training. Whether on a poster in a common area or verbally talking employees through the company’s standards, workers will be continually refreshed. Whether these policies are the company’s job requirements, or more light-hearted statements (such as “Just because you always did it that way, doesn’t make it right”, “Safety is something you learn from the start – Being accident free is doing your part”, or “Chance takers are accident makers”, making this information readily available can prevent innumerable slips. Encourage employees to ask their supervisors for clarification if they do not fully understand instructions. Taking this time to ensure that every team member is on the same page will not only increase workplace efficiency, but promote workplace safety as well.
Enabling safety in the workplace is key to avoiding accidents within your company. According to OSHA, workplace-driving accidents cost employers an average of $60 billion a year. Take employees for regular emergency drills. This ensures that if disaster strikes, they have the knowledge to take care of themselves and their equipment safely. Ensuring that the company’s tools and equipment is running well is also key to promoting workplace safety. Vehicles and tools provided by the company should be checked monthly. Any repairs that need to be made will be identified. Remind employees to check not only their vehicle’s gas levels, but lights and other tools before use.
Apart from monitoring company equipment, evaluating workplace’s cleanliness also plays a role in promoting safety. With employees working around the work-space, clutter and disorganization can potentially compromise safety. “In many cases, pre-cautionary practices can prevent accidents,” said Attorney Marc. S. Albert in an interview. Simply by keeping a work-space organized, regardless of the office or company, accidents are less likely to happen.
Another huge aspect of preventing workplace accidents is making sure to report accidents and mistakes when they occur. While employees might feel hesitant to report an accident in fear of it reflecting their performance, it is key for managers and supervisors to be alerted. If there is a fault with company devices or machinery, management needs to be notified in order for the tools to be repaired. If there is a program or job that is prone to accidents, managers can alter the structure of the job. While letting the accident go unnoticed is less work than the formality of reporting it, making the accident known not only protects employees themselves, but their co-workers from experiencing the same slip up. It is key for managers and supervisors to make the importance of reporting clear to their employees. By dismissing their fears of performance evaluation or taking personal blame for the accident, leaders open the gate for employees to be honest and open with what happens on the job. This can be done efficiently by using an employee training platform.
Once an accident is reported, managers and supervisors are responsible to alter the workplace to prevent the incident from happening again. Whether that means removing/updating company resources, constant refresher training, ( Eg: Online guard card training ), or altering an employee’s responsibilities, this action prevents workplace accidents from reoccurring.
The Forum of Private Business states, “If you are the proprietor or managing director of a company, you are ultimately responsible for the health and safety in all aspects of the business.” To address one of the root causes for accidents in the workplace, ensuring that employees are properly trained for their positions is a key factor in reducing workplace accidents. Occasionally within the hiring process, especially when filling a job space is time sensitive, going through each detail of the job description and equipment can seem tedious. However, in order for the employee to be both successful and safe, it is essential that the employee not only understands what they need to accomplish for the company, but how to to do safely.
Kathy Amato
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