Workplace safety is a complex topic. And it’s also one of the most important issues for you to consider as a business owner. Employees who feel safe on the job are less likely to leave the company, are more productive and are less liable to cause workplace accidents. Here are some ways to keep your employees safe at work.
Encourage Accident Reporting
Do your employees feel comfortable with reporting workplace accidents? Do they even know how to report accidents that happen on the job? The prompt reporting of workplace accidents minimizes costs, can help get the employee back to work sooner and also allows you to promptly correct what caused the mishap.
Encourage prompt accident reporting by providing clear instructions to employees of how to report accidents. You should also ensure that employees understand their rights following workplace accidents, as well as your policy regarding injury fraud investigations.
Get Employees Back to Work
An important element of preventing and overcoming workplace accidents is ensuring that your employees are returning to work promptly. Workers who return to work within a reasonable timeframe are less likely to resort to injury fraud, keep business rolling as usual and more.
Of course, you don’t want to press employees to return to work sooner than they are able. But you do want to let injured employees know that you’re available to help them work through the logistics of returning to work. You can help get employees back to work on a reasonable timeline in several ways, such as by offering a light work option.
Create a Safety-First Culture
According to this Expert Interview with Dr. Timothy Ludwig on Cultivating a Safety Culture, creating a company culture that keeps safety top of mind is an important element of looking out for your employees. Having a safety-first culture means that employees opt for the safe option rather than the quick or less expensive options. Of course, employees must first be trained and encouraged to put safety first before this mindset can become engrained in your company’s culture.
Provide the Right Training
Employees will typically be less likely to suffer a workplace accident if they’ve received the right types of training. Minimize workplace accidents and look out for your workers by evaluating and revising your training program.
Provide the right training based on your industry. For example, ladder safety training is an essential course in some industries and is a waste of time in others, depending on their frequency of use. Work with your human resources department to determine the best type and frequency of safety training.
Avoid Repeat Accidents
Accidents happen in every workplace. But repeat accidents don’t need to happen. Prevent the same accidents from happening multiple times by evaluating what contributed to past accidents. For example, if an employee was injured while working on a shop floor, was the mishap caused by equipment failure, operator error, distractions or something else? By knowing what went wrong, you can take the necessary steps to prevent it from happening again, whether those measures include replacing faulty equipment, providing more relevant safety training or something else.
Do your employees feel safe while on the job? Do they know how to stay safe at work? From providing safety training to investing in quality equipment, make sure you’ve taken the necessary steps to look out for the safety of your employees.