Tips to Improve Safety in the Workplace
As an employer, it is your responsibility to do what you can to make the workplace as safe as possible, and with strict safety regulations in place, it can be a struggle to ensure compliance. Of course, there are aspects where you have no choice to comply, but there are other things that you can do to make the working environment a little safer, and here are a few examples.
- Manual Handling Training – More often than not, a back injury is sustained because the worker was not lifting the object in a correct manner, and if you call in a specialist manual handling expert, they can tailor a short course for your employees that will help them to understand safe lifting techniques. A short course like this could save you thousands of dollars in compensation, plus it could dramatically reduce absenteeism due to personal injury, and if you would like to know more about manual handling training, a Google search will help you locate a nearby specialist.
- Protective Clothing – If you search online for industrial workwear, you will find local suppliers of top-quality boots, overalls and hard hats, to mention but a few of the items they would stock. You could, for example, offer to pay a portion of the cost, if the items are not essential, and by asking your employees what protective clothing or equipment they need, you can make a list.
- Regular Safety Meetings – These are always a good idea, if for no other reasons than they bring safety to the attention of everyone. Thirty minutes per week is all it takes to discuss the safety record and in the event there were accidents, investigate the causes, which will help people prevent further occurrences.
- Check your Signage – Make sure that all safety signage is where it should be and legible from all angles, and replace any missing signs as soon as possible. No Parking, no smoking and loading bay signs are all vital warnings that need to be in place, and by running though the premises once a week, you can check every location.
- Be Proud of a Good Safety Record – You should have a large sign near the entrance to your business premises that informs people how many days since your last work accident, and the longer the period of accident-free, the prouder your employees will be. When you have a long record to protect, your workers will be that much more resilient about safety in the workplace and this will ensure an ongoing 100% record.
There are many online providers of courses that promote safety in the workplace, and the specialist provider can tailor the content to best suit your business. Assigning one employee to oversee basic safety guidelines is always a good idea, and that person can coordinate and ensure that all signage is in place and fire extinguishers are tested, while also making sure that employees have access to protective clothing and equipment.