A surprisingly large percentage of employers take workplace safety for granted, even though it is one of the first segments of the business they are supposed to deal with. But this is exactly why so many job-related accidents happen on a daily basis.
Private employers reported almost three million non-fatal workplace injuries in 2018. Another study shows that a worker is injured on the job every seven seconds. The numbers are staggering and represent a clear signal that you must take workplace security to the highest level.
There are many ways to do it, so keep reading to see a step-by-step guide on how to maintain a safe working environment in your company.
- Identify Pain Points
The first thing you need to do is identify the biggest weaknesses of your security system and detect pain points that could jeopardize the safety of your workers. It all begins with a risk assessment that pinpoints potentially dangerous places and procedures in your company.
The list of possible issues is almost endless and it mostly depends on the nature of your business. We can, however, mention some of the most common pain points such as:
- Not enough training to operate heavy machinery
- Incidents caused by employee exhaustion
- Long overtime work
- Not wearing protection gear
- Create a Safety Strategy
Now that you understand the dangers, it is easier to create a safety strategy and keep your employees protected around the clock. Generally speaking, it is the official document that explains how to identify and react to operational hazards. A safety strategy also states who is in charge of which protocol and how to implement it.
If this sounds like a little bit too much, keep in mind that even the safest environments need to have this strategy in place. This includes even an essay writers service such as My Assignmenthelp or EasyEssay – not to mention other businesses operating in factory-like conditions.
- Train Your Employees
Another detail you need to take care of is employee training. This is particularly important for newcomers because they must get used to your safety protocols and go through the onboarding program.
Jake Gardner, a security analyst at the top paper writing service reviews, claims that each member of the organization has to learn how to behave in case of fire, machine failure, or any other type of incident: “Although it sounds trivial, employee training can really save lives and help your people get out of the trouble injury-free.”
- Beware of Equipment
The safety of your employees largely depends on the quality of gear and equipment. Therefore, you should invest a sufficient amount of money into high-quality apparel (helmets, vests, etc.) and machines to ensure maximum security.
Besides that, don’t forget to check each item regularly. Things tend to wear down rather quickly, especially when people use them all the time. In such circumstances, a special safety board should organize periodical inspections and test the quality of every item to keep your workers safe and sound 365 days a year.
- Regular Safety Meetings
Another thing you should think about is organizing safety meetings to inform the members of your team about possible changes or new rules in the field of workplace security. Once again, the idea is to keep it consistent and hold a meeting every once in a while.
If you don’t do it like that, rest assured most employees are going to forget your safety instructions. Therefore, consistency is the key if you want to establish and promote a genuine “safety first” culture in your organization.
- Introduce Visual Safety Aids
No matter how often you organize safety-related meetings, employees will forget about official procedures if you don’t keep reminding them 24/7. The only way to do it is by introducing visual safety aids that everyone can notice regardless of the position.
This includes features such as posters, warning stamps, digital signals, special color schemes, brochures, and similar. Of course, each document must contain the latest safety regulations and follow the existing employee protection technology.
Security experts at the essay writing help agency called Assignment Helper believe digital signs make the biggest influence on workers. Such tools are more dynamic and easy to change, which means that even careless employees must notice the warning and react to potential hazards.
- Make It Entertaining
The last tip on our list is very important because we all know that security meetings are often boring and don’t inspire employees to engage. How can you make an entertaining security session?
In order to do it, remember that people learn best through games. This basically means that you should try to create a friendly atmosphere in which your personnel will be glad to learn about security issues.
Although it’s a serious topic, workplace safety can be more attractive if you use the following elements:
- Organize quizzes or trivia
- Encourage people to play certain roles and imitate real-life situations
- Use safety videos
- Give small incentives to the most successful learners
You can think of many other ways to make learning fun and entertaining, but the ultimate goal is to spread the word about workplace protection and keep your staff safe.
Conclusion
Every business owner should put workplace safety on the top of his/her priorities. It’s a critical issue because you need to prevent injuries, preserve professional credibility, and protect your organization from possible lawsuits.
In this article, we presented a step-by-step guide on how to maintain a safe working environment in your organization. It’s a serious process, but you can make it simpler, entertaining, and more engaging with new workplace protection mechanisms.
Have you ever used any of these tactics? Let us know about your experiences in comments!
Bio
Sharon is marketing specialist in assignment masters and writer from Manchester, UK. When she has a minute, she loves to share a few of her thoughts about marketing, writing and blogging with you. Currently, she is working as a marketer at college essay writing service. You could follow Sharon on Facebook.