Irrespective of the number of employees your organization employs, the one thing that needs to be on top of the priority list is a safe working environment. There is no way you would want your employees to face debilitating injuries nor would you want your productivity to suffer on account of workplace accidents. Effective workplace safety tips, therefore, are key to ensure a safe work environment. While each company has to ensure compliance with safety regulations and inspections, it is imperative for a workplace to imbibe a culture of safety that goes beyond compliance alone. Here are some aspects to watch out for:
Ensure Proper Safety Kits
Depending on the specific hazards that your industry has, the employees have to be equipped with proper safety kits. Not only should they have the necessary equipment, care should be taken to see that all of it is well-maintained. Ever so often while protective headgear, safety goggles and more are thought through, safety footwear is missed. This can have debilitating consequences as there are enough and more foot injury hazards in workplaces. From sharp objects lying around to foot injuries that account from slips, trips and falls, there are a number of hazards. Also, if the working conditions of the employee involve being on his feet all day, it is imperative that they wear comfortable footwear with enough toe room, a deep heel cup, a supportive insole and more to keep fatigue and fatigue-related accidents at bay.
Risk Assessment
A very important aspect of the prevention of accidents is a thorough risk assessment. It is always better to involve the employees as they are in a good position to point out apparent hazards. Seemingly small things like looking for a rolled mat that can cause a trip or adding rubber padding along the stairway can go a long way in ensuring employee safety. Similarly, it is important to keep every corner of the workplace clutter-free. Keeping aisles clean and organized is important to ensure that nothing comes in the way of people working. Other than physically causing accidents, clutter also leads to stress in employees. Stressed employees, in turn, are prone to accidents. Ergonomic designed furniture and equipment where everything is within the reach of the employees also help prevent things from falling. It also makes sure that employees do not have to undergo unnecessary strain as an added perk!
Employee Training
Ongoing training of employees on safety procedures is also imperative. From safe use of workplace tools and machinery to fire safety and emergency procedures, there needs to be a comprehensive training plan. It will also be a good idea to have some basic safety rules put around the workplace as also clearly labelling designated hazardous zones to reduce the possibility of accidents.
Stretch Breaks
Particularly for employees undertaking repetitive tasks, it is extremely important to provide stretch breaks. Repetitive work can cause fatigue, which in turn leads to lack of focus and can cause accidents. Also, repetitive strain injury can result in issues such as aches, weak muscles, reduced joint mobility and more.
Open Discussions
While this may not seem like a workplace safety tip, it possibly is the most important. Having a designated time and an open culture where safety rules are discussed is a great way to ensure things are in place. Employee participation is key, as they can not only point out hazards that otherwise could have been overlooked, but the fact that their buy-in is involved will ensure that they follow the safety protocols.
Implementation of the above workplace safety tips can go a long way in ensuring the safety of your employees and also making certain that productivity isn’t impacted.