Tag Archives: health and safety

General Safety Issues

Checklist: Top 8 Things You Must Do for A Safe Work Environment

There are many benefits to having a safe work environment. Not only does it prevent employees from getting injured, it boosts productivity and efficiency as well. People work better and produce higher results when they are comfortable in their surroundings and when they don’t need to worry about various threats or dangers.

Creating a workplace safety checklist is the first step you should take to ensure that your business is safe. Identify potential hazards and share solutions or procedures that detail how to handle these issues with your employees. Start crafting your list now.

A Few Things to Remember

Before you get started, there are a few things that you should keep in mind.

  1. Read and learn about the health and safety regulations that apply to your state and industry. You can find information by state here.
  2. Keep an organized and accessible binder of regulations that your employees can access at all times.
  3. Include health and safety checklists in the binder mentioned above.
  4. If there are any emergency procedures that your employees need to know, have them read it during their on-boarding process. Regularly review these procedures as needed.
  5. Stay accessible for any questions or concerns that your employees may have regarding the company’s safety standards.

Top 8 Things You Should Have in Your Workplace Safety Checklist

  • Keep the Floors Clear. You should have clear walkways at all times. Your employees shouldn’t struggle to get from one place to the other. If your organization constantly receives packages or boxes, be sure to have a designated area for them. Inform your employees to immediately clean up any spills or leaks that may happen. If you work in an industry that works with oils, be sure to educate your employees on how to properly clean and dispose of that.
  • Keep the Stairs Clear. Similarly to your floors, your stairs should always be clear. A crowded stairwell could cause accidents or prevent employees from being able to exit in the event of an emergency. Your stairwells should also be properly lit and have a handrail installed.
  • Install Proper Lighting. Whether you’re working on a construction site or in an office, it is imperative to have good lighting. Most employees feel safer in brightly lit areas. Having good light will also prevent falls and other accidents from taking place. Your outdoor parking area should also have good lighting to keep employees safe when getting to their car.
  • Require the Proper Dress Code. Wearing the right attire could prevent someone from getting seriously injured. If you are working in the construction industry, require your workers to wear steel-toed boots and shoes. They should also be the proper sizing. If you are working in the food industry, make sure to note that the kitchen staff should wear long sleeves and pants to prevent burns. They should also invest in non-slip shoes.
  • First-Aid Kits. Buy or create first-aid kits for your offices. Depending on how big your work environment is, you may need multiple kits. Each kit should have things to help wrap up cuts and scrapes, as well as, ointment to prevent infections.
  • Emergency Procedures. Email your employees important emergency procedures. You should also keep a set of the posted and accessible at all times. Your emergency exits should all be clearly marked. You should also inform your employees where the emergency equipment, like fire extinguishers, are housed in the office.
  • Keep the Office Clean. Make a conscious effort to keep the office as clean as possible. This doesn’t just mean tidy. This means keeping it clear of food, waste, and more. Not emptying out your trash frequently could cause insects and other critters to come into the building. The last thing you or your employees want is an unwelcome rodent infestation. You should also make sure that the bathrooms are cleaned daily.
  • Lock All Doors & Windows When Leaving. Your office or work environment should be secure at all times. In your safety checklist, provide a “closing office” checklist as well. Instruct your employees on how they should close down the office when the day is over. It is especially important to lock all your doors and windows so that none of your equipment gets taken or stolen. If your windows have blinds, they should be drawn closed so that people don’t see the valuables that you have.

 

Getting injured at work is not entirely preventable, but there are definitely steps you can take to decrease the chances of it happening. Follow these 8 tips and take the first stride to make your environment a safer one.

To learn more about what you can do if you were to get injured at work, speak to a workers compensation attorney.

 

General Safety Issues

Invest in Health and Safety at Work and Reap the Benefits

Most business owners just focus on productivity and implementing new strategies to make their employees work harder. This approach may be efficient in the short-term but will soon fail. After all, your employees are people, not robots. If you want to invest in your company’s productivity and quality of service, you need to meet your employee’s basic needs. In other words, you need to make sure there are no risks of getting hurt or sick on the job. 

1. Come up with a procedure 

You should always work towards preventing health and safety issues from ever happening, but sometimes that’s simply impossible. In these scenarios, it’s important to have a coherent plan of action. Coming up with a procedure for dealing with these emergencies will help minimize the consequences and return business as usual as soon as possible.

This all implies you should know exactly what to do in cases of fires or other work emergencies. What you’ll do depends on the type of venue your workplace is at and its location. It might be a good idea to ask a professional for help in planning or to hire someone to do that job for you. You can even have a first aid technician on the worksite present at all times.

2. Maintain your facilities

Regardless of where you’re doing your business, you need to pay attention to the state of your facilities. This is especially true if you’re in an old building with a weakened structure. Old pipes, crevices, and spaces between the walls can all be potential risks for injury or disease. This is because pests will have easy access to your workers.Whether we’re talking about an office or a construction site, the consequences could be fatal. Rats can sneak in and chew the wiring important for your work, causing potential short-circuits and fires, while bugs can spread disease and interfere with the work process. Making sure no pests can be found on the worksite will make your employees much more relaxed and productive. They won’t have to stop work just to deal with another issue and you won’t have to spend more money on solving an additional problem.

3. Train and educate your workers

Most injuries are caused by untrained workers who don’t know what they’re doing. So, in order to minimize the risk of injury, you need to battle ignorance. Do this by training new employees and educating old ones. You may have a skilled crew in your hands, but everyone needs a little reminder on safety. Also, make sure to encourage safe behaviour on the job. You can do this by rewarding their good behaviour with a compliment or pat on the back.This way, your workforce won’t be on sick leave or at home, healing from a work injury. You’ll have a strong and healthy crew, ready to take on any project you give them. You’ll also get to avoid potential lawsuits. This all saves you a lot of time, energy, and money while increasing productivity.

4. Get proper and quality equipment

More and more countries are realizing just how effective having proper equipment can be. Take Australia, for example. It’s realized the equipment is the key to preventing injuries and promoting health. If your employees wear good quality equipment necessary for their job, they’re far more likely to do their job well because they’ll have some help.In fact, Aussies take it so seriously that control measures have been implemented to make sure everyone stays safe and healthy. That’s why you’ll find that Australian safety boots, hard hats, high visibility clothing, and safety harnesses meet all the necessary regulations. As a result, you won’t hear that anyone’s gotten sick or injured at work, and productivity is at an all-time high.

5. Maintain the hygiene

Maintaining the hygiene of any work venue is essential from keeping sickness at bay. Disease spreads faster in unclean environments so you need to counter that. Pay special attention to bathroom areas, and kitchens if there are any. If not, make sure the place where your workers take their lunch break is up to standard.

If the circumstances allow it, you can hire a cleaning service to regularly take care of your workplace. This takes the pressure off you while still making sure your employees are working in a clean environment. Finally, you should also encourage your workers to clean up after themselves and educate them on the importance of clean workstations. This way you’ll minimize the risk of disease entirely.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a few things to pay attention to when it comes to making sure your employees remain safe and healthy. The attitude you have towards their well-being will surely reflect how they feel about you. If your employees respect and like you, they’re far more likely to do their job well and be motivated to give it their all to succeed. We’re confident that all your hard work will pay off in the long run if you follow some or all of the tips above.

About the author: Liam Smith is a young and aspiring Australian blogger with a passion for everything related to home improvement, design and style. He has a B.Sc. in Interior design and is an avid reader.

Uncategorized

Tips For Writing Good Health and Safety Documents For Your Workplace

Tips For Writing Good Health and Safety Documents For Your Workplace

Writing health and safety documents is a job that requires a lot of knowledge and devotion. It’s necessary that every company should have these documents.

The dictionary and governments define these as a plan of action, a method of action that guides and influences future decisions on health and safety.

If you are not sure how to write these documents, here are some tips  that will improve your writing for health and safety documents.

  1. Make it simple

Simplicity is the key for clarity. Using long sentences packed with jargon that most employees will not understand will only lead to confusion. This is why you should strive to make your documents as simple as possible. This is not to say that you should not follow the guidelines given by the authorities but it means that you should make the text as simple as possible within the given boundaries.

  1. State the responsibilities

One of the things that each health and safety document should have is the part which clearly states who is responsible for what part. The names should be updated when necessary and there should be no confusion as to who employees should contact if they are ever in need or health and safety authority within the company.

  1. Describe everyone’s duties

This step is related to the previous one and it means that you should clearly state what the duties of each authority related to health and safety are. “The description should be simple and possibly in the form of a list so that it’s easier for both the one who holds the responsibility and employees to read and understand. Also, state what are the duties of each one of your employees”, – explains Jody Nelson, a Recruiting Manager at Academized and Revieweal.

  1. State your goals

Every document should be written with certain goals and in this case, you need to show your employees which goals you plan to achieve. Let them know how things will change and how they will change This will make them more motivated to respect and act on rules and regulations stated in the document.

  1. Pay attention to the accuracy of your documents

One of the most important things about your health and safety documents that is often neglected is, of course, it’s accuracy. Most people forget to proofread and edit and this can lead to many issues. If an employee reads a misspelled word and thinks it means something different entirely, they will likely do something that harms your health and safety policy. It can also make you seem unprofessional and uneducated. People are less likely to follow your guidelines if they are packed with mistakes. This is an easy fix, luckily, and you can do it by using some of these tools.

–Writing Populist and Via Writing are online writing guides that can provide you with tips on how to write properly and for maximum clarity of your work.

–Boom Essays is an online editing tool that can remove all of the redundancies and unimportant things in your documents. Learn more about it from Boomessays review.

–Academ Advisor is a plagiarism tool that you should utilize since everything you write needs to be original and unique to your company and your regulations.

–Essay Roo and Thesis help are online formatting tools that can help you turn your text into something readable.

–My Writing Way is a guide for proofreading and editing that can point you towards some of the most common mistakes and their fixes.

–Elite Assignment Help and Ukwritings are online copywriting services that can help you write your health and safety documents.

  1. State how health and safety regulations will be implemented

There should be a section where you’ll explain what you will do to make sure that these regulations are implemented. Write about some of the things you’ll do, investments that will be necessary, educational seminars within the company that you’ll organize etc.

  1. Format for clarity

Most documents are not organized in a way to be easy to read. However, this document is important for your entire organisation and it should be formatted in a way that is easy to read.

Most employees will be overwhelmed by a wall of text and they can rarely focus on the most important things when it seems so confusing. This is why you should use headings, subheadings, bold text, bullet points and lists to make it easier for them to read and understand. Use short paragraphs and simple sentences wherever possible. This is also good for later finding a specific part of the document that you need – you would be able to easily find it through subheading instead of going through the entire thing.

Conclusion

Writing important documents like health and safety documents is not an easy job and much relies on your ability to make the content of it clear and readable. This means that all of your employees need to be able to understand it clearly and understand who is responsible for what. Follow these tips and the guidelines that were given to you by the authorities for optimal results.

Freddie Tubbs is an Employee engagement manager at Big Assignments. He regularly takes part if workplace organization conferences and contributes posts to Ox Essays and Australian Reviewer blogs.

General Safety Issues, Health Issues, Respiratory Safety

NUMBER 3 ON OSHA’S TOP TEN VIOLATIONS LIST FOR 2010

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OSHA estimates that there are more than 650,000 hazardous chemical products in use in the United States.  This means that approximately 3 million American workplaces and over 30 million workers could be potentially exposed to some sort of chemical product.  OSHA’s #29CFR 1910.1200, Hazard Communication Standard, General Industry, was listed as Number 3 on their Top Ten Violations List for 2010.  

This occupational safety and health standard is for the purpose of evaluating potential hazards of chemicals, and communicating information concerning hazards and appropriate protective measures to employees.  There should be a written hazard communication program for the workplace, which includes lists of hazardous chemicals present, labeling of containers of chemicals in the workplace, as well as of containers of chemicals being shipped to other workplaces, and preparation and distribution of material safety data sheets to employees and downstream employers.  It also includes development and implementation of employee training programs regarding hazards of chemicals and protective measures. 

The HCS is a generic standard covering all hazardous chemicals as well as all workplaces where they are used.  By providing information to employers and employees, steps can be taken to ensure protection at the workplace.  Illnesses and injuries are reduced when both employers and employees modify their behavior as a result of receiving information about the hazards.  Training of workers is necessary to ensure they understand the information provided, where they can get more information, and how they can use the information to protect themselves.  Training is the means an employer can use to address risks related to the situation involved. 

Material Safety Data Sheets are reference documents.  They are a one-stop shopping source for everything you might need or want to know about a chemical.  They must be useful to the safety and health professionals who decide what controls to use, first aid or medical treatment to provide, and the precautionary measures to follow.  The information on MSDSs is usually technical, since it is generally written for health professionals.  MSDSs must provide the specific chemical identity of the material, physical and chemical characteristics, and the physical hazards. Other information contained in the MSDSs  are health hazards, including signs and symptoms of exposure, and medical conditions generally recognized as being aggravated by exposure to the chemical.  Also to be included in the Material Safety Data Sheets are a list of the primary means of exposure: inhalation, ingestion, or absorption and whether the chemical is a known carcinogen.  Other useful information should be listed, such as generally applicable precautions for safe handling and use of the chemical, emergency and first aid procedures, date of preparation or latest revision, and the name, address, and phone number of a person who can provide additional information and appropriate emergency procedures if needed. 

The most important way that this standard works today to reduce chemical source illnesses and injuries is to ensure that workers and those who provide protections for workers – physicians, nurses, industrial hygienists, safety engineers, and other professionals – have the information they need about the chemical to devise protections.  Then they must choose the appropriate engineering controls, personal protective equipment and controls such as substitution, by knowing what chemicals are present, and what their physical and chemical effects are.  Under the requirements of the Hazard Communications Standard, employees have a right-to-know the identities of the chemicals they are exposed to and what hazards are present. 

Source: OSHA

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

GELOTOLOGY

How many of you know what gelotology is, and what on earth it has to do with health or safety?  Gelotology is the physiological study of laughter.  If you will notice, there have been several articles published in magazines, newspapers, and on television describing health benefits from laughter.  Laughter is the physiological response to humor.

Laughter is our coping mechanism; it gives us a reason to feel good.  Thank goodness there are comedians whose job is to make us laugh.  We can enjoy a good chuckle when something unexpected happens, sometimes at the expense of someone else, but if it is in good spirit, and not belittling anyone, it’s good for everyone.

We can get an over-all body workout: laughter exercises the diaphragm, abdomen, respiratory system, and facial, leg and back muscles.  Have you ever laughed so hard you cried?  Laughter reduces stress hormones; it acts as a safety valve that shuts off stress.
More facts about laughter:

  • An adult laughs an average of 15 times a day.  A child, however, laughs an average of 400 times a day.
  • Clinical studies have shown that laughter strengthens the immune system.
  • Humor allows a person to forget about pains such as aches, arthritis, etc.
  • Frequent belly laughter empties your lungs of more air than it takes in, resulting in a cleansing effect, similar to deep breathing. This is especially beneficial for those who suffer from emphysema and other respiratory ailments.
  • According to a survey done by Match.com, “70% of 16,000 adults polled believe they’re more likely to fall in love with someone who makes them laugh than someone who makes them think.”  N.Y. Time Service, August 20, 2004

You never know how much you could touch someone by just making that person laugh.  Sigmund Frued theorized that laughter releases tension and “psychic energy”.  In the Universal Human Vocabulary, everyone speaks “laughter”!