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The importance of workplace health and safety is obvious in the transportation, manufacturing, and construction industries, but did you know it’s just as important in office-based industries as well? All workplaces present their own unique set of risks. To protect both your business and employees from harm, workplace safety should be a top priority. Here are five simple strategies for improving workplace safety.
Thoroughly train staff
You can preach safety all you want, but it won’t matter unless your employees are competent and properly trained. Make sure employees undergo formal safety training so that they have the tools they need to prevent an unsafe situation from developing. Online training modules can provide them with the theoretical knowledge they need, while practical on-site training will teach them how to apply it.
Make sure all safety policy procedures are clearly documented and accessible to employees at all times so that they can access the information when they need it.
Reward safe behavior
Employers can sometimes unknowingly reward unsafe behavior. If you’re rewarding your employees for high productivity, they may cut corners by ignoring safety procedures to improve their productivity. This is especially prevalent in the transportation sector, where persons involved in accidents with company vehicles seek out specific truck accident legal advice to obtain compensation for their injuries. By encouraging truck drivers to be efficient, they often end up speeding and getting into collisions.
Flip the script and reward your employees for practicing safe behavior instead. Make the target quality rather than quantity.
Purchase safety technology
Your employees may have all the knowledge and experience they need to make safe choices, but without the right tools, they won’t be able to properly protect themselves and their coworkers. Wearable technology, robotics, and machinery guards are just some of the technologies that may be appropriate for your business.
Cutting-edge safety software is also a non-negotiable investment, as it will enable accountability and transparency. By improving safety procedure communication, everyone in the organization will be on the same page. Making improvements to procedures will also be much easier.
Road construction is one of the most dangerous workplaces, due to vehicles driving by workers at construction sites. Utilizing expandable safety barriers can help keep your road construction workers safe, and it helps minimize downtime setting up barriers.
Have regular safety meetings
Ensuring safety requires constant communication. Holding monthly meetings with representatives from all levels of the business will give everyone a comprehensive view of how safety procedures are working across departments. Any changes made can be brought back to departments by representatives, and any gaps in safety procedures can be identified.
These meetings are also a great opportunity to go over existing protocols to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Create a culture of safety
It’s not enough to simply have safety policies and procedures in place. An entire culture of safety must be fostered and nurtured in the workplace. Improving safety should be emphasized just as much as improving business efficiency. This is a team effort, so make sure each person understands their responsibility in contributing to safety culture and is held accountable.
The importance of reporting incidents should also be stressed to encourage transparency. Make sure employees are not penalized for reporting an incident, as this will reduce motivation to report and create mistrust. Safety culture and trust go hand in hand.