A safe work environment is one of the greatest benefits that an employer can offer their employees. However, workplace safety needs to be a must-have, not a nice-to-have. When a company provides proper training and takes adequate steps to keep the workplace running safely, success is easier to reach.
What Does Workplace Safety Include?
Workplace safety all comes down to prevention. Certain jobs have greater hazards than others, but with proper preventative measures, employees can stay safe and successful. Some of the basic tools for accident prevention include:
- Training
- Posters & signage
- Policies & procedures
- Safety logs & documentation
5 Practical Ways to Practice Injury Prevention
Create a Safety & Wellness Plan
First thing first: you need to create a plan. This comprehensive document should explain all the safety policies and procedures for:
- Completing safety-related tasks
- Raising safety concerns to management
- Documenting safety incidents
A plan helps employees understand the expectations and processes that the company requires. This type of comprehensive document helps prevent any miscommunication between management and employees.
Require Pre-Employment Physicals
If you’re hiring for a physically demanding position, it’s not a bad idea to require a pre-employment physical. While you must include the demands and expectations in the job description, going a step further to be sure a candidate can stay healthy on the job is a good idea. This way, you are hiring a capable employee, but you are also helping to keep that candidate healthy for the long run. Some information you can request includes:
- Physical exam
- Review of medical history
- Vision and hearing tests
- Lung capacity test
- Cardiac stress test
- Drug and alcohol screening
- Pull and grip strength test
Hold Regular Training
Every team needs initial safety training. These are important and absolutely necessary. But once that training is over, what happens? The companies that put safety at the highest priority are those that continue to hold regular accident prevention training. These can be held twice a year when an influx of workers is hired, when new equipment is introduced, or when a particular process or procedure has changed. Some companies choose to review everything at once during the regular training, while other companies may hold more frequent training, but with a more narrow focus each time.
Provide Protective Gear
One of the best ways to prevent accidents at the workplace is to provide protective gear for your employees. The type of gear varies for each company and job position, but if it’s listed in your safety requirements, you should be sure to provide it for all your employees (and with the appropriate sizing for each employee. Some protective gear may include:
- Helmets
- Goggles
- Reflective vests or other high-visibility clothing
- Gloves
- Ear coverings
- Waist belts
- Harnesses
- Foot protection
Keep Work Spaces Clean & Organized
One of the most effective ways to prevent injuries is to keep the workspaces in order. By making cleaning procedures a part of your employees’ daily and weekly responsibilities, you will help the workspaces stay clean and organized. If your work environment has a cleaning station, proper signage should be created so employees can easily find everything they need quickly.
Accident Prevention is Important
Creating and implementing an effective safety program is crucial to keeping your employees healthy and the company successful. When employees feel safe and valued, they perform better and have greater job satisfaction. Of course, a safe workplace is also more budget-friendly too.
Hire Responsible & Qualified Candidates
If you need help finding the most qualified candidates who are also responsible and tuned into safety, turn to Expert Staffing.