\Every year, more and more workers suffer the consequences of workplace injuries. And these injuries not only cause mental and physical harm to employees but also affects employers financially. Because of lack of precaution, a business might significantly suffer.
Instead of “fixing” the situation every time an accident happens, business owners should prevent accidents in the workplace. Listed below are the tips you can use to keep your employees safe.
Eliminate Risky Behavior
Sometimes workplace injuries happen because employees keep pushing themselves. This type of behavior is due to several reasons, like wanting to impress co-workers. It’s also possible for them to work too hard to increase their work output. In some cases, workaholic employees go back to work while recovering from a recent accident.
While creativity and productivity are highly appreciated in workplaces, it becomes unsafe when the employees put themselves at risk. Encourage them to work productively without stressing themselves out and pushing their limit all the time.
Review Company Policies
Company policies help in keeping things in order. But you need to review your policies at least once a year to ensure that they still apply to the employees’ current situation. For instance, if you changed how your employees work, your health and safety department should amend the documents.
After the updates, make sure to inform everyone in the workplace. Send them all an email or a letter about the adjustments and minor updates. In addition, constantly update your employees’ training if you need to make significant changes to work procedures.
Provide Insurance
Employer-sponsored insurance protects you and your employees at the same time. In the event of workplace accidents, employers are often obligated to cover all recovery expenses. If you are not financially prepared to cover big hospital bills, your business might suffer.
Provide insurance for your employees. So that you don’t have to pay for their hospitalization expenses in case of an emergency. The insurance will also guarantee that your employee will receive the best treatment available. To give you n overview, here are the common types of employee insurance:
- Medical insurance- for annual checkups, prescriptions, and surgeries.
- Hospital insurance- for all hospital costs.
- Dental insurance- for visits to the dental office (X-ray, cleaning, diagnostics)
Train your Employees
Your employee might have adequate experience in doing his tasks, but training helps in ensuring that they are safe at all times. Always remember that poorly trained employees can harm themselves and their co-workers, putting everyone in danger.
Employers can prevent workplace injuries by training their employees before putting them in their designated positions. Training might mean that they need a few weeks to start working. But it’s a great way to protect your employees from hazards.
Inspect Regularly
In the fields of construction, manufacturing, repair, shipping, and other dangerous workplaces, accidents happen almost all the time. However, employers can prevent accidents by regularly performing inspections.
Hire a professional to inspect the machines, tools, and equipment. All materials used by your employees must pass the safety standards. Check to see if their tools are safe to use and if they are functioning correctly.
When equipment breaks, have it replaced or repaired immediately. Do not compromise when it comes to the safety of your employees. Not fixing broken machinery can cost an employee health problems, which isn’t good for your business.
Provide Supervision
You might not be able to watch over your employees all the time, so hiring a supervisor might be ideal. Whether you’re working in an office or a construction site, it’s vital to supervise your employees. Having a supervisor will ensure that employees know their tasks and have access to information when needed.
Without a supervisor, an employee who’s not quite sure about his tasks might “play around,” which might result in equipment damage or injuries. Train your supervisors to be approachable. So that when employees need to ask questions, they will not be intimidated.
Ask For Employee Opinions
No one else knows how risky a job is other than your experienced employees. You can consult them and ask for suggestions when you create a risk management plan and safety policies. Set up a dropbox where they can share recommendations.
Offer Support
Workplace accidents usually happen due to the environment, provided materials, or given tasks. But their mental and physical health, experience, and education are also factors to consider.
When a person is sick, tired, or having personal issues, their mind and spirit wander somewhere else. And because of this, they will not be able to perform well at work. As a result, their productivity declines, or worst-case scenario, they get into accidents.
Support your employees by giving them a few days off or arranging a pizza party at work. Anything that would make them forget their problems, even just for a while, can help them bounce back.
Protecting your employees is also a way to protect your business. As you might already know, workplace injuries can result in a lawsuit, which can cost you thousands of dollars. Keep your employees safe and create an environment that will not put them at risk of injuries.
