Injury prevention in the workplace starts at the top. As a business owner, it’s your job to set the tone for safety. That starts with a plan. Then, it involves buy-in from your team and regular reviews and updates.
It’s never too late to improve workplace safety or too soon to make updates to stop injuries. We’ve gathered seven tips for injury prevention in the workplace to help you create a safer space starting today.
- Make a safety plan. The best way to create a safer workplace is to create a safety plan to ensure all safety measures are in place for your type of business. For larger companies, we recommend you consult with one of our safety services experts who can visit your worksite, review unique risks or challenges, help you put a plan in place, and follow up for continued safety.
- Engage your team. Safety is not just your responsibility, it’s everyone’s. And who better to engage in safety plan development, training, and review than your frontline workers who know the workplace and potential safety risks. To build engagement, consider running contests and challenges among your employees (i.e., 100 days injury free is a pizza party, drawing for a prize, etc.).
- Provide personal protective equipment (PPE). Adequate PPE isn’t optional, it’s essential. Provide enough protective eyewear, masks, gloves, hard hats, etc. to safely perform job functions. Ensure your team is trained on wearing PPE properly and enforce rules to mandate it on the worksite.
- Don’t take shortcuts. If there’s a machinery issue or building repair, don’t patch the problem with a temporary fix. Taking maintenance shortcuts can be dangerous or even deadly. In the same way, don’t take shortcuts with employee training or safety plans. Being detail-oriented and diligent supports injury prevention in the workplace.
- Inspect and maintain the workplace. Wear and tear are facts of business, as are broken parts and building repairs. But they shouldn’t become safety risks. Perform regular inspections of equipment and make changes promptly. If there’s a faulty piece of machinery, fix it right away. If there’s a roof leak, repair it. If there’s a spill that could be a safety hazard, clean it up and encourage team members to take the same initiative. Make workplace organization mandatory.
- Staff your team adequately. Workplace safety takes the whole team, and a full team. When your company is short-staffed, it can lead to longer hours and drowsiness on the job. It can also make it more difficult to find replacements for unexpected sick days or leave, with the rest of your team having to pick up additional work. With a well-staffed company, your employees will be safer and happier.
- Get workers compensation coverage. No matter how much you plan and prepare, unfortunately, accidents and injuries can still occur in the workplace. Luckily, workers compensation insurance can help both injured employees and your company stay on their feet. It will cover an employee’s lost wages and can help you in the event of lawsuits or legal fees.
Ready to learn more about injury prevention in the workplace? Talk to one of our local, independent agents.
