Tag Archives: safe work environment

General Safety Issues

A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Maintain A Safe Working Environment

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.

General Safety Issues

WHY SAFETY COMPLIANCE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN BUSINESS (GUEST POST)

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Compliance training and safety should are the priority of a conscientious business owner. Without meeting safety standards, you should not be running a business, because you are risking the welfare of your employees and your company too. You can consult with a company like Safetrac about training your employees to acceptable standards, and exactly what you should be doing in your industry to make sure you are running a safe business. Complying with these standards will make your company a friendly and hospitable (and safe!) company to work for, and will also make you seem legitimate and ‘above board’ to all of your clients and the rest of your industry.

As a business owner or manager, you have to think of things like safety training and safety equipment as an investment rather than as an expense, because using it promotes the longevity and legitimacy of your business and also prevents expensive distractions from business such as legal action from employees. If your company happens to undergo a government audit, failure to have complied with safety standards leaves you vulnerable to serious legal consequences as well as expensive fines. By complying with standards and training all of your employees in industry standards you give them all the tools to be responsible for their own safety, which takes the pressure off management.  To ensure compliance with the standards applicable to their risk assessments, companies must furnish the correct OSHA safety supplies to protect their workers.  This is another area that they must be trained on the use of such equipment, how to take care of it, and know when to replace it.

So what can safety compliance strategies do for you? The benefits of maintaining a safe work environment are many, safety is about what managers and employers can do to protect their workers. Employers should send their workers home in the same condition they came in. No one can argue with the fact that workplace safety is important, yet it’s often overlooked sometimes unintentionally leaving workers exposed to risk. 

Ivy Delfin is a copywriter working with Safetrac who offer compliance training programs providing businesses with an opportunity to improve employee performance and business operations. When Ivy’s not writing content she enjoys cooking, swimming and walking her Great Dane.

 

General Safety Issues

HOW HUMAN RESOURCES CREATES SAFE WORK ENVIRONMENTS (GUEST POST)

Sent to us by Erin Palmer

Whether referred to as Human Resources or Human Services, at companies both large and small, the HR department strives to provide the best possible workplace for their employees. In the day-to-day operations of a company, human resource managers face a complicated set of challenges involving every aspect of the workplace.

Of all these areas, perhaps none are as important as maintaining a safe work environment.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 4,690 workplace fatalities in America in 2010, or about 3.6 fatal injuries per 100,000 employees.  While the second lowest total since such numbers were tracked beginning in 1992, this still represents an environment where safety should be of the utmost importance.

In light of all this, it is vital for human resources to make sure that the workplace has first aid supplies and maintains all federal safety rules. Putting rules for safety in place – and constantly evaluating and updating them – is of paramount significance to human resources managers.

What Human Resource Departments Do to Address Safety

Much of how a human resources manager might address worker safety depends largely on the industry and the nature of the work involved. However, there are some general areas that all human resources departments must address.

  • Compliance with regulations involving personnel and management practices. This is especially relevant for employees with special needs.
  • Coordinating health and safety activities. This involves supervising health and safety personnel, as well as coordination of activities on health and safety committees for employees.
  • Maintaining employee records. This can be of benefit for employees with special needs, those with illness or injury and employees with disabilities, or pregnant employees.
  • Ensuring employees are aware of HR policies. This is a big part of most human resources departments, and involves the orientation and training of new employees, transferred employees and promoted employees, as well as general announcements for the entire workforce.
  • Promoting safety culture. This involves not only training new employees on the safety rules of a workplace, but also offering continuing information to all employees on the latest safety guidelines and best practices for enjoying a safe workplace.

Using Health and Safety Programs to Foster Safer Workplaces

Generally speaking, a health and safety program involves formulating a method of best broadcasting the practices of a company’s health and safety programs to employees, in hopes of providing the safest workplace possible.

Most health and safety programs involve creation of a committee made up of representatives from different levels of management as well as those from the employee ranks. It’s usually best to have an equal number from both areas.

The committee is then tasked to meet regularly and develop elements of a health and safety program that will provide the most benefit to that company’s workers, not one that simply meets the compliance guidelines set forth in government regulations. Some of the areas addressed in a typical health and safety program include:

  • Management training
  • Scope and frequency of workplace inspections
  • Accident and injury incident investigation
  • Emergency preparedness
  • Organizational rules for workplace safety
  • Personnel communications
  • Off-the-job safety
  • Evaluation and improvement of the program

Some Basic Tips for Workplace Safety

The federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) oversees workplace safety for the nation, and since 1970 federal law has mandated that employers provide a safe working environment for all employees.

Keeping up with OSHA regulations is a top priority for most businesses, as is preparing for the possibility of more stringent standards. Some tips for staying ahead, culled from Express Employment Professionals, include:

  • Documenting all OSHA violations. Having an updated list of problem areas will help the company better focus on making improvements.
  • Updating safety programs. As mentioned above, one of the main commitments for a health and safety committee should be the monitoring and improvement of health and safety programs.
  • Keep all employees up-to-date on safety regulations. This includes training all new employees on safety procedures as well as keeping all employees current on the proper use of all equipment and any changes made to health/safety protocols.
  • Seeking expert consultation. It’s sometimes advisable to bring in an outside health and safety expert to evaluate your health and safety program and determine whether it is complete and current with best practices.

Whatever course a human resource manager decides to take in addressing workplace safety needs, it’s important to stay engaged in the matter and ensure the latest ideas are being incorporated into the company’s approach to all-around employee safety.

This guest post was provided by Erin Palmer. Erin writes about human resources certification for the University Alliance. She also covers topics like HR degree programs.