When it comes to safety in the workplace, a lot of focus is often given on companies that belong in industries that are considered high-risk as in the case of health and manufacturing. What people often fail to realize is that even those seemingly risk-free environments like offices can have a ton of hidden hazards as well. What’s worse is that not a lot of people are aware that these hazards can be a danger to the safety and health of the employees.
A workplace that has been hazard and risk-proof is always a better setting for everybody. When employees feel that they are safe at work will usually be more productive since they can focus more on the responsibilities and task at hand and less worrying about stuff that could have something to do with their safety. More importantly, they’ll less likely end up getting injured while on the job. You can save a lot of money when you won’t need to always pay for compensation claims. There will be less lost productivity as well. Having the right safety programs for your business is crucial not only for your workers but for your organization as well. Below are some steps to help make your workplace a much safer setting for everyone:
Be on the lookout for possible hazards.
A good way of determining safety risks that are unique to your workplace is by observing the environment and analyzing the different kinds of work your employees are expected to do. For instance, if you are a baker, among the possible hazards your employees might encounter include strains due to lifting heavy bread trays or even asthma attacks triggered by accidentally inhaling flour.
It helps immensely if you take the time to research the different safety requirements in your respective industry. Even a quick search online will give you a better idea of the thing that could constitute as safety risks in your workplace.
Find ways to minimize, if not totally eradicate, those hazards.
It’s recommended that you follow the control hierarchy when addressing possible safety and health hazards at work. Start with elimination, followed by substitution. Then move on to engineering controls then administrative controls to be more efficient in your quest at providing a safer and healthier work environment.
See first if there is a way for the hazard to be eliminated. If it can’t be, find out if there’s a possible substitution that may not be as dangerous. See if there is a way to keep people away from the said hazard through engineering controls. This could be in the form of machine guards or anything that better enhances the safety of those that will be handling the hazard. Lastly, utilize administration tools to effect changes that will improve workplace safety. This could be in the form of changes in your operating procedures and policies. You could also provide training to help change people’s mindsets in the way they work to make it safer not just for them but for everybody else as well.
Carry out hazard training.
After successfully determining the specific workplace hazards, make sure that your employees get trained on how to effectively handle them. Your training program should focus on safety awareness as the foundation for a risk-free work environment. Focus on educating people about the importance of reporting hazards and making sure that accidents are duly reported and accounted for. They should also be trained on how to respond during an emergency or if a fire broke out. Keeping your employees up to date with modern safety and health practices in the workplace will ensure that injuries and accidents are prevented.