Unfortunately, injuries in the workplace are fairly common, and in order to protect both your employees and your business, it’s important to have measures in place to prevent them…
Minimising the risk of injury in the workplace will make your employees feel safer in their work environment. On top of this, it will prevent things like a public injury claim or a lawsuit which would not only carry a heavy financial burden but will also be damaging to your business image.
It is your responsibility to consider different safety measures and how to implement them. With this in mind, here are a few ways you can prevent injury at your workplace…
Education
One of the most effective ways to reduce injuries in the workplace is through education. Both workers and management should receive thorough training regarding safety measures across the workplace.
Educating both workers and management across the workplace should be constant. Having routine training will help staff stay up to date on safety measures if for example new equipment is introduced to the space or if there are any other changes.
In addition to this, new employees should receive appropriate training as soon as possible. Handbooks, safety protocols and safety information should also be available to anyone who needs a refresher.
Don’t Take Shortcuts
It is surprising how often a workplace injury occurs due to a shortcut taken by either management or a worker.
Having clear instructions for employees to follow will help to discourage them from taking shortcuts when working. This can help minimise the chance of a mistake being made which could cause a workplace injury.
On top of this, there should be no shortcuts when it comes to maintaining equipment, buying safety equipment etc.
Consider Who You Are Hiring
Carefully considering who you are hiring is essential. Underqualified individuals are more likely to make a mistake that will lead to an injury in the future.
In order to do this, ensure that you are screening the employee during the hiring process. Ensure that any references provided are checked and their qualifications are valid. Doing so will protect both your current and future employees from avoidable accidents.
In addition to making sure your employees are qualified, it’s important that there are enough for the job. Understaffing can be a massive risk and cause countless injuries if there are simply not enough people to safely do the job.
Having enough people can also prevent your current employees from becoming burnt out or overly stressed. This may be particularly important if the workload increases at any point, for example during a busy season. In this instance hiring part-time staff can help prevent injuries from occurring.
Have High-Quality Personal Protective Equipment
One of the most obvious ways to protect workers is with the proper protective equipment. This may include things like…
- Safety helmets
- High visibility clothing
- Ear protection
- Safety footwear like steal toes boots
- Waterproof clothing
- A masks
Every employee should receive the corrent personal protection equipment (PPE) for their position. Training should be provided so that they know how to effectively use this equipment and there should be regular maintenance tests to ensure the equipment is up to standard.
Regular Equipment Maintenance
As well as maintaining PPE it’s also important to regularly perform equipment maintenance. Many work accidents occur due to faulty or damaged equipment, so this is important in order to prevent these accidents from occurring.
The employee needs to be able to report any faults with the equipment quickly and easily and anything that is not performing needs to be serviced or replaced immediately.
Safety Inspections
There are many potential dangers throughout the workplace, and these can include things as small as a puddle of water or as dangerous as an exposed electric wire.
It’s important that all the equipment being used is maintained but performing safety inspections on the environment can prevent just as many workplace injuries.
Again, employees should be able to raise concerns about their work environment easily and there should be safeguards in place to ensure the safety standards are upheld. In order to encourage this, it may be beneficial to offer a form of incentive to look out for safety issues.
Keep the Workplace Clean
A fairly straightforward way to prevent injuries is to ensure the workplace is always clean. There should be no clutter or debris where people will be working to prevent tripping hazards.
Additionally, environments that deal with chemicals. liquids or even a large amount of dust should be kept as clean as possible to minimise the risk of slipping, lung damage or other issues.
Preventing Accidents in the Workplace
Just one workplace accident has the potential to seriously impact your business. There can be a number of consequences including…
- Having to pay for compensation claims and legal fees
- Damaging the business reputation
- Harming workers morale
- Losing productivity
These are just a few of the results of a workplace injury so it’s important that you put property protection measures in place. Remember to provide PPE, training, and conduct regular safety checks and maintenance.
Please be advised that this article is for general informational purposes only. Be sure to consult a legal advisor if you need advice on public injury compensation claims or safety in the workplace. We are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.
