Every year more than three million people get injured at work, and this could easily lead to lawsuits, lost profits, and even bankruptcy. Keeping your workers safe and protected is not just about making profits, but you should also provide a good environment where your crew will feel good and will know that they will return home in one piece every day.
If you want to improve productivity, health, and revenue in your workplace, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we are going to talk about some of the ways that you can improve health and safety at work. Continue reading if you want to learn how to avoid dangerous situations, how to implement the safety protocols, and how to find the right solutions depending on the industry you are a part of.
1. Implement protective clothing and accessories
The first, and probably the most important way to improve the safety and wellbeing of your employees is to invest in the proper clothing and accessories. No matter the industry you are a part of, chances are, there are things that your team needs to be aware of, and they need to be properly protected.
Depending on your company, you may think of implementing ear and eye protection gadgets that will keep them safe in case they are a part of the production process. These gadgets will keep them safe if there are flashes of light, loud noises, or just dangerous environments overall. Note that you should also consider implementing steel toe boots and hard hats to make sure they don’t injure themselves if something falls or if they trip.
There are a lot of different types of clothing and accessories that will keep your workers safe, and you need to choose them depending on their job position and the type of work they do daily.
2. Invest in training
No matter how many cool and sophisticated gadgets you have, and no matter how much you choose to invest in the latest tools and devices, it will all be to no avail if your crew does not know how to use them. You need to make sure that your employees are properly trained and that they know how to utilize everything that’s at their disposal.
Luckily, today there are a lot of different online training courses that will help your team learn how to take care of themselves, how to improve the workspace, and how to create a better and safer environment. Click here for more information. It is said that you should invest in training for everyone that is a part of the business, and later on, you should think about exercises and team activities where everyone will be able to share their knowledge and learn how to communicate better.
3. Use proper equipment
Now let’s talk about the equipment that you need to implement in your job. Just getting the newest devices is not enough, and even though it will help, you need to also teach your workers about what to do, how to properly use the machinery, and how to react in case something goes wrong.
When it comes to lifting heavy items, you should either supply the proper equipment or teach your employees that they should never try to lift things on their own. Using machinery like vacuum lifting equipment and forklift trucks can make a huge difference, and you can also check this solution for the lifting of heavy window panes.
Think about where you can use robots and specialized equipment and where you will need your crew to do all the heavy lifting. Understand the difference between the devices and make sure you purchase the proper ones. Note that a huge part of this is maintenance, so you should keep all your equipment in check.
4. Use signs and labels
We’ve all seen the signs in public areas that the floor is wet, that there is a loose tile, or that the elevator is not working. These things are done to protect the general public and to make sure that nothing bad happens. You should implement the same thing in your corporation. You should put notes if there is anything that your crew needs to be aware of, and you can even help them get from one place to another without risking their wellbeing.
In addition to this, you can even add signs and arrows on where they should move, where they should stand on the escalator, if they can use all the elevators or if there are special ones that are for equipment only and so on. All of these things will help improve their health and wellbeing and it will ensure that you did everything you can to keep them safe.
5. Implement continuous improvement
The last thing we are going to talk about is the ways that you can constantly improve the workplace. The reality is, no matter how good of a plan you have right now, chances are, you are missing something, and you are forgetting something. This is not a bad thing; it just means that there is room for improvement and that you can make your company better.
So, you should allow your employees to point out and report dangerous events in the company. No matter if it is a loose tile, spilled water, or a broken machine, you should encourage them to make a report every time they see that there is a safety hazard. You should also reward them when they make several reports. This will help with continuous improvement and you will increase the overall safety of your business.
These are some of the things that you need to pay attention to. Remember that you will also greatly benefit from installing barriers, teaching your crew how to communicate, and be aware of the conditions that your team is a part of. The overall safety depending on the industry, so if you are a part of the heavy-duty field, you need to take all of these things one step further.
Invest in your training as well, incorporate these protocols right away, and if you have any issues, you can also collaborate with a professional that will help you locate the hazardous environment and get rid of all the danger.
