Last Updated on January 18, 2024 by Umer Malik
Workplace injuries are among the most prevalent in the US? There were four million workplace injuries in roughly 149,000 workers in 2020.
These numbers are concerning because injuries affect businesses in many ways. You have to deal with medical bills, reduced employee morale, and low productivity. These costs alone can break you if you’re a small business owner.
The good news is that there are ways to avoid workplace injuries and their associated costs.
Read on as we give you tips on how you can improve employee safety.
Table of Contents
Identify the Hazards
Identifying hazards will help you create a workplace safety plan. Dedicate some time towards assessing your business and noting possible risks.
You’ll need to collaborate with your employees to identify all potential hazards. After all, your employees understand your business better. They will help you identify risks you may overlook.
Create a Wellness Plan
After identifying potential hazards, you’ll need to create a safety plan. Your safety plan needs to mitigate all identified threats.
It should also offer incentives to encourage employees to report dangerous behavior. Ensure you involve your employees in the creation and implementation stages. Doing so will make it easier for them to adopt the plan’s guidelines as workplace culture.
Incorporating Physicals Before Placement
You can prevent some workplace injuries by having potential employees undergo physicals. Many workplace injuries arise from employees’ inability to undertake some tasks.
Ensure your employees are fit before placing them in physically demanding tasks. Doing this will also protect people who associate with the employees while working.
Train Your Employees
Training is a crucial part of preventing workplace injuries and reducing their effects. Ensure all your employees learn about potential hazards and how to avoid them. You should also train them on how to identify and report risks.
You may need to hire professional trainers if your employees handle machinery. Specialized training involves various things, including how to lift items. Enrolling them in the OSHA online safety training can be a great step as well as they will learn to be better equipped to prevent fatalities and accidents.
Contrary to popular opinion, these things are not obvious. Investing a little in training will save you a lot of money in the long run.
Invest in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Never skimp on PPE. Safety gear will improve safety in demanding industries like construction and manufacturing.
When buying your PPE, ensure that you only consider reputable brands. Cheap brands will not protect your employees, as many fail when injuries occur.
Maintain Constant Communication
Be sure to keep your lines of communication open. You can do so by acting on all reports made by your employees. Doing so makes them feel heard.
You can also promote communication by educating employees on their options. Teaching them about resources like Benefits Claim will show them you care.
Workplace Injuries Are Preventable and Manageable
You can avoid falling victim to workplace injuries. The first step is identifying potential hazards.
After this, you need to tailor a safety plan that addresses the hazards. Most importantly, listen to your employees as they may know more than you do.
There are many other types of human resource that can be helpful to improve employee safety and can also be more beneficial for your business
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