Top Ways to Prevent Workplace Injuries

There are bound to be accidents in workplaces, no matter how careful you are. It is the same thing as having an accident while commuting. If you are out of luck, you could have an accident in the safety of your home, as well. In reality, no matter how hard you try or how careful you are, you cannot avoid accidents. However, you do not need to seek defeat.

If you are an employer reading this, you have to keep in mind the safety of your employees is one of the essential duties. It is more so in industries where inherent risks are always there. We are talking about sectors, like construction and mining. Therefore, you ought to develop a safe plan for your employees. It will give your employees peace of mind, and they will be able to give their best.

Here are some ways to prevent accidents and injuries at the workplace:

Create a Safety Plan

The planning stage is the most important of all. If you do not have one, you have nothing to refer to. Your plan should explain all the safety policies that the management and the staff members must adhere to. It includes maintaining safety records, monitoring, CCTV surveillance, documentation, incident report management, and mitigation measures.

Any company dealing with hazardous work conditions or materials must also have a medical emergency plan chalked out. This will give a foundation for the management to work on, and employees will also understand what is expected of them. This will also prevent miscommunication and legal issues should an incident occur.

Provide Protective Clothing and Gear

Suppose you are one of those industries mentioned above or dealing with hazards like fire and electricity. In that case, you have to provide personal protective equipment to your employees. PPE kits include helmets, glasses, masks, ear covers, harnesses, and fire-resistant clothing. When you induct new employees, it is also imperative that you train them in standard operational procedures. You should also conduct surprise safety audits to determine if the employees are adhering to the same.

In addition, to the safety equipment on the person, you have to provide your employees with available safety equipment for their work spheres. They include signages, traffic ones, and first aid kits. Well-prepared translates to well-attended when a situation arises. It will also help you to prove that you are compliant.

Conduct Health Checks Before Recruitment

Many organizations require employees to undergo pre-employment health checkups. If you are going to fill in roles for which you need the incumbent to be fit and sound, this is a norm. Take, for example, pilots. You will find the airlines getting their health and vision checked as well. Hearing tests are also an essential part of the recruitment process. If you are hiring for the transportation industry, you have to conduct driver’s hearing tests.

Some pre-employment physical checks include physical examinations, vision tests, hearing tests, lung capacity tests, a review of the health records, and drug addiction screening. These will help you identify the serial offenders. Additionally, these will help you decide whether you should go with the hire at all. If your industry is very physically labor-intensive, you have to ensure to get your employee’s health checked every year.

Review Staff Strength

You, as an employer, also have to ensure that you have delegated a task to a group, according to the norms. Delegation of fewer staff members for high-grade tasks and dangerous ones can make work vulnerable. Although you may feel that you are getting more work done for less, the implications can burn a hole in your pocket.

If you hire more people, it can also lessen overtime pay. Furthermore, the staff is also not over-stressed. When employees get adequate rest, they feel more energized to return to duty, and their productivity also increases manifold.

Do Frequent Safety Evaluation

You have to do a safety evaluation of your business and identify trends. It will also help you to recognize the possible hazards. As a part of the management, the owner, or the HR, you have to do a physical survey of the premises from day one. You should be able to identify the potential risks and also draw accidents reports from previous years. You can also hire an external safety consultant to advise you on the dos and don’ts. The consultant can also help you re-evaluate and re-design your safety and wellness plans.

Get Proper Lighting

You should ensure to keep the workplace well-lit. The work arena, streets inside the premises, stairs, and bathrooms should be lit with sufficient lights. Parking spaces are also under the same. If you have employees working away from the company premises, get them spotlights.

These are a few ways you can stop accidents at the workplace. Workplace injuries can weigh you down financially. So, it would help if you were well-prepared with mitigation measures. Medicare facilities are also a great way to assist your employees if something befell them.